The Harrier is a full-size luxury SUV that is placed above the Fortuner and is amongst the most premium Toyota SUVs sold all over the world with only the LandCruiser being above it in terms of price. Unlike the LandCruiser, the Harrier is an SUV which has a hybrid petrol engine with a focus on on-road performance. The new-look Harrier SUV is very big but in images does not look like it however the design is stunning to say the least. The front is aggressive with the way the grille is divided into two with a massive chrome line plus of course the LED headlamps.
The side of the Harrier from Toyota showcases how big it is yet the crossover shape has many lines on it. You will notice the line across the side and the big wheels but the stance is lower than that from a Fortuner with slightly less ground clearance of 195mm. However, the ground clearance is pretty good to handle our bad roads and still better than some other crossover SUVs out there.
Inside the Harrier is quite luxurious with a classy leather/wood fitting all over the cabin. It is much more luxurious over a Fortuner or even the more expensive LandCruiser. There is a big 12inch plus touchscreen while there are soft-touch materials all over. Space is very good but the Harrier is a 5-seater only but the second row is much better than a Fortuner or a Land Cruiser with added comfort. It feels properly luxurious here.
It has a long features list as you would expect from a Toyota SUV but it is also the most luxurious SUV yet from Toyota with a panorama roof with electro-chromatic windows which are dimmed plus other features like a JBL audio system and a digital rearview mirror amongst others. There are also enough in terms of luxury features to tempt the chauffeur-driven - the main clientele of Toyota.
As said earlier the Harrier has no diesel and is available with petrol plus hybrid engines. There is also four-wheel drive which is available while the automatic gearbox on offer is a CVT. The hybrid brings together a 2.5l petrol engine with an electric motor. Thus the combination of petrol plus electric gives it a smooth refinement much like the Camry Hybrid along with fuel economy which would be better than other SUVs with petrol engines only.
The big question is whether this new Toyota SUV will come to India. Well, our hopes are high as we have learnt that Toyota is betting big with hybrid technology in India and this SUV could be the perfect fit for India. In terms of prices, it would be well over the Rs 50 lakh mark but as the Vellfire has shown, plenty of car buyers will like a hybrid Toyota SUV. Yes it does not have a diesel or 7 seats plus it will not be as good off-road as the Fortuner but it offers a more luxurious and a more premium experience. Now it remains to be seen what name Toyota brings it with since Harrier is already taken by Tata in India!
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