It is after a long time that two Indian manufacturers are going head-to-head with two very respectable offerings in the SUV market, and have now created the need for comparing the new Scorpio-N vs Harrier. After a much-awaited launch of the Scorpio-N, customers are now split between one of the fan favorites, as they go head-to-head in the large SUV segment.
The Scorpio-N already has a cult following, thanks to the Scorpio’s 20-year-old history with the Indian market. Posting a tremendous number of sales every year, the Scorpio-N has huge shoes to fill. One of the biggest issues for the Scorpio-N though is the waiting period. With a few models still having up to 24 months of waiting time (you read that right, 2 years!), it will be challenging for Mahindra to dominate and truly live up to the ‘Big Daddy of all SUVs’ tagline if it isn’t as much on the road.
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Tata, on the other hand, is currently following a new design philosophy that is heavily inspired by the Land Rover brand. The company has really come a long way from its age-old reputation of producing boxy ‘taxi cars’. A breath of fresh air from the company, finally ditching bland designs of the past, the Harrier truly is a beautiful Tata car to look at. Let us see how these two vehicles stack up against each other in this Scorpio-N vs Harrier battle.
Scorpio-N vs Harrier: Dimensions
| Model | Scorpio-N | Harrier |
| Length | 4662mm | 4598mm |
| Width | 1917mm | 1894mm |
| Height | 1857mm | 1706mm |
| Wheelbase | 2750mm | 2741mm |
| Boot Space | 460L | 425L |
| Ground Clearance | 187mm | 205mm |
A wider body results in better shoulder room inside the car, longer wheelbase means more legroom, more height means it makes it easier to get in and out of the car, a larger boot means that you get more space to store the luggage, and a higher ground clearance means that the car won’t scrape its underbody on bad roads. Considering all these points, the Scorpio-N edges the Harrier out in every aspect except ground clearance, which is a double-edged sword as ground clearance decreases the efforts for people who are short in stature to enter and exit the car while having a risk of scraping the underbody of the vehicle..
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Winner – Tie
Scorpio-N vs Harrier: Engine and Transmission
| Model | Scorpio-N | Harrier |
| Engine Options | 2.2L Turbo diesel, 2L Turbo petro | 2.0L Turbo diesel |
| Transmission Options | Manual, Automatic | Manual, Automatic |
| Power | 175PS, 203PS | 169 PS |
| Torque | 300Nm, 370Nm | 350Nm |
| Mileage | 16.46kmpl,12kmpl | 16.35kmpl |
The Scorpio-N seems to be the winner in this comparison as well. Most customers praise the car for its smooth and refined engines and almost instantaneous power output. It also has the best off-roading experience due to its high power and torque numbers. The Harrier doesn’t seem to be far off when it comes to real-life conditions but the turbo lag seems to affect quite a lot of customers and is also brought up multiple times by them. The Scorpio-N has a 0-100km/h time of 11.67s while the Harrier manages the same at 11.25s. The winner is the Harrier by a thin margin, but reviews of the Scorpio-N show that the car feels much quicker due to instant acceleration. The power-to-weight ratio for the Harrier is roughly 100hp per tonne while the Scorpio-N is roughly 90hp per tonne. Therefore, the Harrier is a better choice if you have a heavy foot as it gets a relatively higher power-to-weight ratio (only in the case of diesel).
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Winner – Harrier
Scorpio-N vs Harrier: Features and Comfort
| Model | Scorpio-N | Harrier |
| Infotainment | 8’’ Adreno-X Touchscreen, supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay | 8.8’’ ConnectNext Touchscreen, supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay |
| Music | Sony 3D sound, 12 speakers | JBL, 9 speakers |
| Climate Control | Automatic Dual-zone | Automatic Climate Control |
| Ventilated Seats | None | Front-only |
| Adjustable Steering | Yes | Yes |
| Drive Modes | 3 | 3 |
| Instrument Cluster | Analog-Digital | Analog-Digital |
| Sunroof | Electrically Adjustable | Panoramic |
| Adjustable Seats | Driver: 4-way electrically adjustable and 4-way manually adjustable, Co-Passenger: 6-way manually adjustable. Rear row: 4-way manually adjustable Third row: 2-way manually adjustable | Driver: 6-way electrically adjustable and 4-way manually adjustable Co-Passenger: 6-way manually adjustable. Rear row: 2-way manually adjustable |
| Rear AC vents | Blower, vents behind the front armrest | Vents on pillars |
| Seat Split | 60:40 | 60:40 |
| Cruise Control | Yes | Yes |
Overall, both cars have similar offerings. The Harrier does get a 6-way adjustable driver seat, which can be considered an advantage over the Scorpio-N. Where the Scorpio-N gets a single-pane sunroof, the Harrier gets a dual-pane panoramic one, making the cabin feel airier. What the Scorpio-N misses out on are the ventilated seats that provide cooling. However, where the Scorpio-N does win is the seating capacity. The Scorpio-N gets a 6-seat option that makes it an optimal choice for larger families leaning towards extra space. Both SUVs in this case have their own pros, and it is dependent on you whether you want extra space or want a plusher cabin.
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Winner – Tie
Scorpio-N vs Harrier: Safety
| Model | Scorpio-N | Harrier |
| Global NCAP | NA | NA |
| Airbags | Up to 6 | Up to 6 |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes |
| Traction control | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic headlamps | Yes | Yes |
| Rain-sensing wipers | Yes | Yes |
| Hill hold assist | Yes | Yes |
| Hill descent control | Yes | Yes |
| Rear sensors | Yes | Yes |
| Rear parking camera, ISOFIX Child seat anchor points | Yes | Yes |
| ADAS | No | No |
One can’t say who the real winner in this category is, as none of the cars has officially received their NCAP scores. The Harrier might have an advantage though, as Tata cars tend to do well in NCAP scores as of late, but the Scorpio-N has a low center of gravity that makes it more stable than most other cars on Indian roads in this situation. This gives it an advantage over many other cars when it comes to protecting passengers from impact injuries during this type of crash. It also gives the driver better control over steering and braking.
Winner – Tie
Scorpio-N vs Harrier: Price Comparison
| Model | Scorpio-N | Harrier |
| Base variant | Z2-Petrol 7 seater- Rs 14.46L | XE- Rs 17.93L |
| Mid variant | Z8-Petrol MT 7 seater- Rs 20.35L | XMAS- Rs 22.5L |
| Upper Mid variant | Z8L-Petrol AT 7 seater- Rs 25.20L | XZ plus- Rs 25L |
| Top variant | Z8L-Diesel AT 4WD 7 seater- Rs 29.17L | XZA plus jet- Rs 27.13L |
There is a stark contrast between the variant pricing of both models. The Scorpio-N has 25 variants and the Harrier gets 30 variants. Scorpio’s base variant is roughly Rs 3.5L cheaper than the Harrier’s while the Scorpio’s top variant is Rs 2L costlier than the Harrier’s. The most recommended variant of the Scorpio is the Z8, which gets all the important and main Scorpio-N features. The Harrier’s value-for-money variant is the XZ (S) which is approximately Rs 5L costlier than the Scorpio-N. With all being said, the Scorpio-N is clearly the winner for offering a cheaper base and mid-variant while offering a 4WD system on the top-end variant for a bit more money than the Harrier top-end variant.
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Winner – Scorpio-N
Summary
In all, it seems like the Scorpio-N and the Harrier are neck and neck in almost all the Scorpio-N vs Harrier comparisons set up above, and thus both cars are equally appealing.
Let’s take a case scenario here to clear things up a bit more – Let’s say you want a large family car prioritizing space over anything, the Scorpio-N is the SUV for you. However, if you’re leaning more towards luxury, and want a plusher cabin and want more features, the Harrier is an optimal option for you. At the same time, the Scorpio-N is a newer option and theoretically would be a better option despite the long waiting period. But again, if you need the car sooner, you would be better off with the Harrier. It ultimately all boils down to you and your individual needs and requirements.
To summarise, it is clear that both SUVs are excellent choices and there will be no clear winner in this Scorpio-N vs Harrier battle. They would appeal to different sections of car buyers and the ultimate winner amongst the two would be dependent on your usage.
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