Tata Motors is likely to bring out new petrol versions of the Harrier and Safari, according to Mohan Savarkar, Chief Product Officer.
He told Mobility Outlook that the petrol powertrain is under development. The engine will be fitted in the two SUVs by the second quarter of next fiscal. This will followed by the Curvv and Sierra.
The 1.5L turbo petrol (TGDi) engine showcased at the 2023 Delhi Auto Expo will, in all likelihood, be the candidate. Made out of aluminium and stiff in structure, the E20 compliant offering is tipped to give better performance and fuel economy compared to the current engines.
Tata Motors says refinement will be the core of the engine’s design to ensure a quiet and convenient experience. The 1.5 TGDi produces 170 hp at 5000 rpm and 280 Nm of torque between 2000 and 3500 rpm. It will most likely be paired with a six-speed manual or an AMT with a monostable gearbox with shift-by-wire technology.
The new engine will also include a water-cooled variable geometry turbocharger which is expected to offer more torque at lower revs for quicker acceleration. Dual cam phasing and variable valve timing will influence how cams respond at different revolutions while there will also be a variable oil pump and an integrated exhaust manifold in the cylinder head.
The company has managed to lower the cost of ownership by equipping these engines with new valve trains and timing chains to extend their service life.
The Harrier will also see an electric version that was showcased at the Auto Expo. Martin Uhlarik, Head of Design, Tata Motors, said while EVs are a big catalyst for aerodynamics, the company is also seeing a clear translation into value by extending this to ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles too.
However, the “sensible approach” was to design the product in such a way that both the ICE and EV models had minimum design changes, aiding in simplicity of production and low production costs. A similar approach was also seen with the recently upgraded Nexon line.
“We were designing both at the same time, just like with the Nexon. We clearly designed the EV and ICE in parallel. So they are influencing each other,” Uhlarik added.
Strong Demand For Diesels
While Tata Motors has set itself a target of achieving net zero emissions by 2040 in passenger vehicles, the Harrier and Safari are being offered with only the diesel powertrain option. While the company realises that electric and gasoline are the way forward, Savarkar said diesel is still very popular for larger vehicles. “Those who have experienced diesel will find it difficult to switch to gasoline. Diesel is here to stay for sometime,” he added.
Earlier, Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, had said that demand for diesel remains to be strong. Regulations like BS6, which ensured clean powertrain options and excluded diesels from several segments, will continue with the future BS7 standards.
Anand Kulkarni, Chief Product Officer at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, had also said recently that BS6 diesels had lower CO2 emissions but more particulate matter. These engines can be developed and made cleaner but the question is this: “Will the higher expenses of equipment be a realistic option, or are other cleaner and more economical technologies more suitable?”
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