New Tata Harrier EV spy shots show near-production headshots

While the Safari EV test mule hasn’t been unveiled recently, we expect Tata Motors to launch it alongside the Harrier EV sometime in 2025

Tata Motors is one of India’s leading car manufacturers and the maker of India’s best-selling SUV. The company is gearing up to launch electric versions of its flagship Harrier and Safari SUVs. Recent spy shots show that Harrier EV’s soon-to-be-production test mule is equipped with a rear electric motor and an advanced rear multi-link independent suspension.

New Tata Harrier EV spy shots

Just after Mahindra launched the BE 6 and XEV 9e in India, Tata Motors seems to be gearing up to launch electric versions of the Harrier and Safari. A Harrier EV test mule was recently spotted in the latest spy shots, thanks to car enthusiast Rohit Shinde, who spotted it at Tathawade on the Pune-Bengaluru highway.

The test mule was covered in camouflage, making it almost impossible to discern the outline of the sheet metal. However, the vehicle looks very similar to the ICE Harrier. Tata has maintained this identity across its range of internal combustion and electric vehicles. For the Harrier EV, we expect it to feature a new front bumper with an enclosed grille to establish design differentiation.

Recent spy shots confirm the presence of an electric motor at the rear. Considering that the Harrier ICE is front-wheel drive only, we can expect Tata to bring some excitement factor to the Harrier EV by offering it with rear-wheel drive as standard. Another possibility is that the Harrier EV will come with front-wheel drive as standard but have a rear electric motor in a 4WD variant with terrain mode.

This means the Harrier EV is likely to have dual motors. If Tata Motors launches the Harrier EV in India ahead of Maruti’s eVitara, the Harrier EV could become India’s first dual-motor mainstream electric car. Another noteworthy element we can see from the spy shots is the rear independent multi-link suspension setup, which should provide a more sophisticated ride.

Internally, we expect the Harrier EV to come with the same interior layout as the Harrier ICE. 12.3-inch main infotainment screen, 10.2-inch instrument panel, electric driver’s seat with memory function, front seat ventilation, panoramic sunroof, dual-zone air conditioning, ADAS suite, 6 airbags and other configurations.

what happens?

Currently, Tata Motors sells a very diverse product portfolio, including the budget-end Tiago and Tigor, the mid-range Punch and Nexon, and the high-end Curvv, Harrier and Safari. But all these vehicles have one thing in common. They are all front-wheel drive monocoques without rear independent suspension.

That’s not to say Tata has never produced a rear-wheel drive vehicle or a rear-independent suspension vehicle before (the Nano has both). Modern Tata cars are very special as they are rear wheel drive and have independent rear suspension. The battery pack options and range figures of the Harrier EV are not yet known. Tata is likely to debut the production-spec Harrier EV at the 2025 Auto Expo and launch it soon after.