Update: New images showing the Tata Buzzard from more angles added to the gallery at the end of the story.
8 March 2019 -
Tata Motors has taken the wraps off the Harrier-based 7-seater SUV, which has been dubbed Tata Buzzard. The new model, which is currently in a pre-production stage, will become the next flagship of the Indian auto giant.
Also Read - Tata Altroz breaks cover at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show
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.
As told to IAB by Vivek Srivatsa, Marketing Head, Passenger Vehicle division of Tata Motors, the 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.
Also Read - Tata H2X concept unveiled at 2019 Geneva Motor Show
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).
