Tata Motors has taken the wraps off the
Harrier-based 7-seater SUV, which has been dubbed Tata Buzzard. The new model will become the next flagship of
the Indian auto giant.
The Tata Buzzard mimics the Harrier till the
C-pillar, after which it carries a longer overhang and a bigger rear quarter
glass. The new model shares its wheelbase with the Harrier but is 62 mm longer
owing to the larger rear section. Other differentiating factors will include
larger 18-inch wheels, revised footboards, new roof rails and variants in the
colour palette for the paint options.
Tata Buzzard looks “sufficiently
different” from the Harrier, especially if you look at the rear sections, where
it features a raised roofline, new fenders, different tail lamps and a bigger
back glass. The interior is mostly the same, with the biggest differentiator
being the additional rear seats. In contrast to what an alleged teaser image
portrayed, the new model misses out on a rotary gear selector and Electronic
Parking Brake (EPB).
The Tata Buzzard shares its OMEGA architecture with
the Harrier. It even gets the 2.0-litre Kryotec oil-burner, albeit, in a higher
state of tune (170 PS). Transmission options for the new model will include a
6-speed manual unit and a Hyundai-sourced 6-speed torque converter automatic
unit that will make it to the 5-seat SUV it's derived from later.
The Tata Buzzard will reach the showrooms in India a
few months after the Altroz, by the end of the year. Its prices could start at
around INR 15 lakh (ex-showroom).
