2021 Tata Safari vs Tata Harrier Comparison – All You Should Know

Tata Motors started the year 2021 with a bang. The indigenous carmaker confirmed that the Tata Safari, which is a legendary vehicle for the Indian audience, will be making a comeback. However, when the surprise broke the covers, the new Tata Safari turned out to be the renamed Tata Gravitas, which was showcased at the Auto Expo last year. Although, with the increased length and height, it manages to pull the Safari’s legacy off quite smoothly. But since it based on the Harrier, there’s a big question that has been haunting almost everyone, “How different are these two siblings from each other?” Well, to keep you folks away from thinking too much, here’s the 2021 Tata Safari vs Tata Harrier Comparison. Read on to discover the distinctions that the Safari and Harrier possess in comparison to each other.

2021 Tata Safari vs Tata Harrier Comparison – Exterior Design

The 2021 Tata Safari is based on the same OMEGA Arc platform that underpins the Harrier. The latter has been in the market for around two years now and deserves praises for the way it looks. The Safari also looks the same until the B-pillar. After which, things start to take a different approach. However, there’s one small difference between the two’s front facets. The Safari gets a chrome-studded radiator grille with a tri-arrow pattern, whereas the Harrier follows a piano-black theme for the grille.

From the sides, these mechanical twins look different. While the design for the alloy wheel remains the same on both of these cars, it is a size larger on the Safari. Also, the 2021 Tata Safari gets a stepped roof with a raising roofline, while the Harrier gets a sloping roofline. The quarter glass on the Safari is bigger than that seen on the Harrier. As a result, the D-pillar features an upright design on the Safari. And the same goes for the boot lid.

Moreover, the rear bumper and tailgate of the Safari are different from the Harrier. While the Harrier boasts of a sporty rear-end, the Safari gets an upright stance to offer more space on the inside. Also, the roof rails come as standard fitment on the Safari, which isn’t the case with the Harrier. Another difference that the Safari and Harrier share, and it has to be a part of this chapter of the 2021 Tata Safari vs Tata Harrier comparison are the colour options. The Safari is available in 4 colour shades, namely Tropical Blue, Orcus White, Daytona Grey, and Royale blue. The Harrier, on the other hand, is available in 5 paint schemes – Orcus White, Telesto Grey, Atlas Black, Camo Green, and Calypso Red.

2021 Tata Safari vs Tata Harrier Comparison – Interior Design

On the inside, the dashboard design remains the same on 2021 Tata Safari and the Harrier. However, both of these Tata SUVs get different colourways for the interior theme. The Safari uses an Oyster White colour theme with Ashwood dashboard inlays. In comparison, the Harrier gets an Oak Brown theme with a faux wood insert on the dashboard. The Harrier’s interior feels like a shade or two darker than that of the Safari’s. As a result, the Safari’s cabin feels airier of the two.

Moreover, the Safari gets a 3-row seating layout as compared to a 2-row setup in the Harrier. While the second-row seats offer zero adjustability in the Harrier, the Safari’s second-row seats can slide and recline. Also, one can choose to have captain chairs in the Safari’s second-row. The third-row, which is absent in the Harrier, increases the practicality of the Safari. The third-row seats are not super-spacious, but they can accommodate two children for a long journey. And since they are set up in a stadium-like manner, the view from the seats is not obstructed either.

The increased number of seats on the Safari has surely snatched away some boot space. With all seats in place, the Safari boasts of a trunk volume of 73 litres only. Folding down the third-row flat increases it to 447 litres, and this is a little higher than the Safari’s 425 litres of boot space.

2021 Tata Safari vs Tata Harrier Comparison – Features

The Harrier went on sale much earlier than the Safari and came loaded to the gills. Its feature list comprises of an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with Android Auto & Apple CarPlay compatibility, panoramic sunroof, cruise control, automatic climate control, keyless entry & go, and push-button start-stop system. Moreover, it gets power-adjustable driver seat, lumbar adjustment, power-foldable & adjustable ORVMs, auto-dimming IRVM, cooled centre compartment, tilt & telescopic adjustability for the steering wheel, 9-speaker JBL sound system, 7-inch TFT instrument cluster and more.

The Safari continues to get all the features that are available on the Harrier. However, it does get some extras. The list includes ac vents & controls for third-row occupants, 60:40 split for second-row seats, Boss mode, and functional roof rails with a load-carrying capacity of up to 75 kilos. Furthermore, Tata Motors is offering the Safari with disc brakes at all-4 ends and an electronic parking brake, thus making the Safari a wee-bit safer than the Harrier.

Talking of the safety features, both Safari and Harrier come with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, brake disc wiping, corner stability control, ISOFIX child seat mounts, electronic stability program, fog lamps with cornering function, hill descent control, hill hold assist, roll-over mitigation, seat belt alarm, high-speed alert, TPMS, traction control system and more. Also, both of these cars come with 3 driving modes and 3 traction control modes.

2021 Tata Safari vs Tata Harrier Comparison – Dimensions

The most noticeable change on the 2021 Tata Safari in comparison to the Tata Harrier is the increment in dimensions. Hence, this is an important chapter of this 2021 Tata Safari vs Tata Harrier comparison. Starting with the Harrier, it measures, 4,598 mm in length, 1.894 mm in width, and 1,706 mm in height. The Harrier’s wheelbase measures at 2,741 mm, while it has a kerb weight of around 1,675 kg. The tyre size on the Harrier is 235/65 R17.

Moving over to the Safari, it is 4,661 mm long, 1,894 mm wide, and 1,786 mm tall. In comparison to the Harrier, the Safari is longer by 63 mm and taller by 80 mm. Interestingly, the wheelbase of 2,741 mm is identical to the Harrier’s, but it is slightly heavier by tipping the scale at 1,785 kilos.

Talking of the boot space, the Harrier has trunk volume of 425 litres, which can be increased to 810 litres by folding down the second-row flat. The Safari, however, offers a boot space of 73 litres only when all the seats are in place. By folding down the third-row, the boot space increases to 447 litres, and with the second-row folded down, Safari offers a trunk volume of 910 litres.

2021 Tata Safari vs Tata Harrier Comparison – Engine & Gearbox

As mentioned earlier, the 2021 Tata Safari and Tata Harrier are mechanically identical to each other. They are offered with a 2.0L FCA-sourced oil burner which is capable of putting out a rated power output of 170 PS and max torque of 350 Nm. Also, the transmission options on both of these SUVs are identical too. The 2021 Tata Safari and Tata Harrier can be had mated to either a 6-speed MT or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

2021 Tata Safari vs Tata Harrier Comparison – Price

Tata Motors has played really well with the pricing of the Safari. It starts at Rs. 14.69 lakh, which is Rs. 70,000 higher than the Harrier’s Rs. 13.99 lakh starting price. With the added premium, the Safari offers more interior room, increased practicality, and rear disc brakes. Thus, making it a better choice between the two. For the XM and XMA trims, the price difference between the Safari and Harrier comes up to Rs. 75,000, and it is Rs. 95,000 for the next two trims in the order – XT and XT+. The XZ and XZA variants of these SUVs command a difference of Rs. 1.35 lakh. The range-topping XZ+ and XZA+ trims of the Safari and Harrier, however, share a difference of Rs. 95,000 for the 7-seater layout and of Rs. 1 lakh for the 6-seater trim. Also, Tata Motors is offering an Adventure Persona variant, which sits on the top of the range and is priced at Rs. 20.20 lakh for the manual variant and at Rs. 21.45 lakh with the automatic gearbox.

2021 Tata Safari vs Tata Harrier Comparison – Verdict

Choosing one between these two Tata SUVs is indeed a tough choice. While the Harrier looks the sportier one in this combo, the Safari is the bigger and more SUV-ish. Also, the Safari packs in a lot more value and practicality with a not-so-high price difference. But, if your requirement of a 3rd-row is inevitable, then the 2021 Tata Safari should be your pick. In case you really don’t need the third row, then Harrier makes more sense, as it feels peppier than the Safari with its lesser kerb weight. With this 2021 Tata Safari vsTata Harrier comparison, we expect that you would now be able to choose one between the two.