GOING ANYWHERE
TA TA HARRIER v JEEP COMPASS
EVERYONE’S BEEN HARPING ON ABOUT HOW THE Jeep Compass and Tata Harrier are direct rivals. They’re not. If you were to compare them spec for spec, the Jeep would cause much more damage to those savings of yours than the Harrier would. But hey, these are cars we’re talking about — there’s plenty of people willing to stretch themselves a little, and even more just looking for a good deal. There’s going to be plenty of people asking which of these two makes more sense, so this is an attempt at answering that.
First up, both have pedigree. There are no bigger names in the off-roading scene than Land Rover and Jeep. Jeep’s Willys is probably the most iconic off-roader ever, but the Land Rover runs it real close. The Compass is a true blue Jeep, seven slat grille et al. The Harrier, meanwhile, has Land Rover DNA coursing through its veins. It’s built on the same D8 platform that the Discovery Sport and Evoque have, and that says plenty about where it is drawing its lineage from.
The Jeep has AWD, yes, but the most affordable 4WD Compass is a good ` 5 lakh over the top-spec Harrier. We’re trying to keep things even here, so we’ve brought a two-wheel drive petrol to the party. These aren’t SUVs that you want to be taking too far off the tarmac — they’re happier on it but if push comes to shove, what would take you further?
The Harrier gets some tech for when it ventures out in to the rough stuff — different drive modes like ‘ Wet’ and ‘ Rough Roads’. Now the lack of AWD means its use is limited, however
it changes the way the ESP and ABS behaves. It isn’t going to get you further off the road, but it will make it harder for you to wrap the Harrier around a tree. What the Compass brings instead is sheer robustness and solid build quality. Slinking in to the seats, you feel like you’re in a solid car that can take you places. The smaller footprint also gives it the ability to go a little bit further.
As for how it behaves on the road, the Compass feels more tied down and solid. The Harrier’s ride and handling package is really good, the Compass feels a notch better. The petrol motor works well with the automatic on the open road, and makes for a sweet package.
It’s apparent where all that extra dough you’re shelling out for the Compass has gone. It may not be able to match the Harrier for space, or even outright road presence but it makes up for it in the quality of materials used and how much more solid it feels on the road. Is it worth the extra dough? I’m not quite sure. The petrol has a reputation of being a guzzler while the diesel costs you a fair bit more. If a good deal is what you’re looking for, the Harrier is it.