Petrol-powered Tata Safari, Harrier to launch on December 9

Tata Motors is finally set to launch the Harrier and Safari petrol in India on December 9, 2025. The new petrol-powered SUVs will come with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engine, part of Tata’s ‘Hyperion’ engine family. This powerplant was first showcased at the Auto Expo 2023 and will make its market debut on the Sierra first, that launches on November 25.

The new Tata 1.5-litre turbo-petrol produces 170hp at 5,000rpm and 280Nm of torque between 2,000-3,500rpm, according to the details that were shared when the engines were first showcased at the Auto Expo 2023. Both manual and automatic gearbox options are expected to be offered, although the exact type of automatic transmission, whether a torque converter or a dual-clutch unit is yet to be confirmed.  It’s worth noting that the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine, which will power entry-level variants of the Sierra, will not be offered on the Harrier or Safari. Interestingly, Jeep is also expected to source Tata’s 1.5-litre turbo-petrol for the upcoming Compass and Meridian models.

We expect prices for the petrol-powered Harrier and Safari to be slightly lower than their respective diesel powered counterparts.

As far as competition goes, the Harrier will have a direct rival in the form of the MG Hector and also will take on the likes of the mid-size SUV segment that includes the Creta, Seltos, Grand Vitara and the Hyryder that retail at similar price points.   The Safari on the other hand will take on the XUV700 petrol and the Alcazar petrol in our market.  With these petrol variants, Tata Motors will finally fill a key gap in its SUV portfolio, as all major competitors except the barring the diesel-only Jeep models—already offer both petrol and diesel powertrain options.