Comparison: Kia Seltos vs Tata Harrier

With their simultaneous launch in 2019, the Kia Seltos and Tata Harrier were the two most talked-about SUVs in the Indian market. Expectations have been soaring for these top-brand models and both of them saw incredible demand after their release. Kia and Tata have both manufactured highly desirable 5 seater SUVs, making it hard for buyers to choose between the two. Both of these SUVs also occupy different price segments, with the mid and top variants of the Seltos priced close to the base variants of the Harrier. This presents an interesting buyer’s dilemma where the value provided by both cars has to be weighed against each other.

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Kia Seltos vs Tata Harrier: Dimensions

Clearly, the Tata Harrier offers slightly more space in terms of length, width, height, and wheelbase as compared to the Kia Seltos. For a midsize SUV, the Harrier delivers on its promise of spacious seating for its passengers, with five passengers more comfortably accommodated. Nevertheless, both the SUVs have ample space for 5 adults to have a comfortable and pleasant experience. 

The Kia does provide the bigger boot space of 433 litres as opposed to the Tata Harrier’s 425 litres. Having a larger boot space means that you can store and carry a lot more luggage for your weekend trips and vacations. When looking at the dimensions of both SUVs, size will be an important factor as the larger Harrier will be slightly less suited to congested city traffic than the Seltos. 

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Kia Seltos vs Tata Harrier: Engine and Transmission

The Kia Seltos comes in diesel and petrol engines, whereas the Tata Harrier is only available with a diesel engine.

While considering either of these SUVs, the Seltos will spoil you for choice with three engine options to choose from. The Harrier on the other hand is only equipped with a single diesel engine, albeit a powerful one. For those looking to get the most fuel efficient SUV, the Seltos petrol and diesel engines will be the better choice. However, the Harrier’s powerful diesel engine is not far behind in terms of fuel efficiency, considering the power on offer.

From the engine and transmission pairings on the Seltos, it is clear it is meant to be driven in the city. The lower power output of the Seltos’s powertrains will not be felt in the city. The Tata Harrier, on the other hand, is an SUV that has been designed to provide a powerful driving experience, especially on the highways where the power can be best utilised. Again, choosing between the two will come down to your driving requirements. If you are mostly driving within the city, the Seltos will be the better choice while the Harrier is the definite choice if there are long distances to be covered on your commute.

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Kia Seltos vs Tata Harrier: Features and Comfort

In the features and comfort segment, it is a tight competition between the two. Both the midsize SUVs offer all the essential features like front parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, 18-inch alloy wheels, 360-degree rear camera, multiple USB charging ports. However, you can see from the comparison table above that there are some minor differences between Kia Seltos and Tata Harrier’s top-end variants in terms of features.

When it comes to a modern interior, the Seltos is the clear winner with a larger touchscreen infotainment display than the Harrier. Additionally, the 8-way electrically adjustable driver seat on the Seltos offers greater adjustment than the 6-way electrically adjustable driver seat on the Harrier. While the Tata Harrier misses these features, it offers JBL sound system with 9 speakers against the Seltos’s Bose sound system with 8 speakers. Another important feature distinction is the sunroof on both cars, with the Harrier’s panoramic sunroof providing a more impressive ambience compared to the smaller electric sunroof on the Seltos.

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Kia Seltos vs Tata Harrier: Safety Features

When put against each other, the top end variants of both the midsize SUVs are equipped with the fundamental and essential safety features to ensure integrated rider safety. Front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitors & 6 airbags are available in both the cars in addition to the advanced ESP system, which guarantees ABS, hydraulic brake assist, EBD, Hill hold control and other safety specifications. An important difference here is that the Seltos is offered with six airbags on all variants while the same is only available on the higher variants of the Harrier.

Both these cars have their respective minor downsides. On one hand the Tata Harrier doesn’t provide a blind-spot indicator, while the Kia Seltos lacks auto-dimming IRVM and Front Fog Lamps with cornering function.

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Since all the key safety features are installed in the Seltos and the Harrier, both the SUVs guarantee protection. However, if you are someone who frequently enjoys taking their car on the wide highway roads or the curvy mountain terrain, then the Harrier’s IRVM and fog lamps are going to come in handy.

Kia Seltos vs Tata Harrier: Pricing

As is evident from the price comparison above, there is a significant difference between the ex-showroom prices of Tata Harrier and Kia Seltos. The latter is clearly more expensive than the Kia Seltos, and is positioned as a more premium product compared to the Seltos. When comparing both cars, the top variant of the Seltos is comparable in price to the mid-variants of the Harrier. At that price range, it becomes a matter of personal choice as the more fully featured Seltos will be a great car for regular city driving while the Harrier offers a more SUV-driving experience with its size and power.

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Kia Seltos vs Tata Harrier: Summary

Both the Kia Seltos and Tata Harrier are capable cars in their respective segments. However, the overlap between the top variants of the Seltos and the mid variants of the Harrier. For the buyer who will mostly be driving within the city, the petrol variants of the Seltos are the cars to consider. For those with regular long distance driving in their commutes, the Harrier’s powerful diesel will be the better option to consider compared to the Seltos.

FAQs on Kia Seltos and Tata Harrier

Q. Which is better: Kia Seltos or Tata Harrier?

From the comparisons above, it is clear that the Seltos is one step ahead of its competitor, the Tata Harrier, in terms of being feature-rich, offering more variants, ensuring additional safety specs, and managing to be more pocket-friendly.

Q. Is Kia Seltos bigger than Tata Harrier?

No, Kia Seltos is not a bigger SUV than the Tata Harrier. The Harrier is bigger than Seltos in terms of length, width, height and wheelbase. 

Q. Is Tata Harrier Petrol better than Kia Seltos?

Currently, Tata Harrier is only available in a turbocharged diesel engine. It does not offer a petrol-powered engine yet. 

Q. Which car is better than the Tata Harrier?

While Tata Harrier is a spacious 5 adult seater SUV which manages to provide a comfortable riding experience to the passengers, it lacks some specs and is costlier than its competitors. The Kia Seltos, which also falls under the subcompact SUV category, seems to be a bit more advanced, considering the safety and comfort capabilities. Customers also often go for Mahindra XUV 700 as an alternative to Harrier.