2023 Tata Harrier to replace my Polo GT TDI: Is it an upgrade?

I had always wanted to upgrade to a proper 2L Diesel German sedan, but hardly any options, unless I start looking at the ultra luxury market, which today, I cannot afford.

BHPian bigvishnu recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am currently driving the 2015 1.5 Polo GT TDI, done over 120K kms on it and love the experience. Dynamics, efficiency and reliability – et al.

Prior to this, I cut my teeth on a 3 gear petrol jeep (Mahindra CJ), followed by stints with the M800, various versions of the tata indica, indica vista, Mahindra thar and now the Polo, while my wife drives the 2018 Jazz VX Manual, which, for all practical purposes is a city car.

Over the last few years, I have found various reasons to stick on to the Polo with zero regrets, but have continued to follow the new car launch scene pretty closely. Through these years, our initial family of 3 has grown – with the kiddo growing very tall, and addition of 2 adopted furry friends in the mix, each demanding their own space in the car during long drives.

I guess the inevitable is around the corner, and I will soon be in the market for a new car. I had always wanted to upgrade to a proper 2L Diesel German sedan, but hardly any options, unless I start looking at the ultra luxury market, which today, I cannot afford.

The new 2023 Harrier / Safari feel compelling, but considering my previous experience with Tata, I am skeptical, my earlier tatas did not age gracefully, and, driving dynamics were all over the place. I appreciate these 2 aspects a lot more now that i spent 8 years with the Polo!

I know, it is weird to compare what I have with what I potentially want to get, when both the cars are from totally different segments.

So here is the question –

Would Polo GT to a Harrier / Safari be a downgrade or a lateral move from the perspective of:

1. Driving dynamics

2. Fun to drive aspect

3. Graceful ageing

I know, the space on offer is a lot more, and the new tech – gazillion screens and creature comforts are on offer etc. but, being a purist who loves to drive, I am still pondering on this question – and hoping to get some views on what this community thinks. Brickbats welcome too, if you feel the question is blasphemous !

While you are at it your thoughts on:

1. If we were to sell one of the 2 cars – should we even consider retaining the Polo (120K kms done) Vs the Jazz (15K kms done)

2. New car – Manual Vs Automatic?

3. Safari or Harrier?

Here’s what GTO had to say on the matter:

It isn’t necessary for driving pleasure to only mean fast, tight-handling cars – here is an excellent article on the topic (Is it necessary for “fun-to-drive” to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don’t think so!).

A fast hatchback delivers a different kind of kick. So does a large SUV. A supercar is fun for many people, while others spend the same money on a slow vintage car that does 0 – 100 in 10-30 seconds. High-revving 500 BHP turbo-petrols on the expressway is , but so is crawling @ 10 kmph in your 4×4 in the jungle. A Cooper S is more fun than a Lamborghini in India. For the city, I’ve found 400cc motorcycles to be far more enjoyable than the 1-liter variety. Superbikes bring a lot of pleasure, but so do cruisers like Harley-Davidsons. I loved corner-carving the Lonavla ghats in a Seltos turbo-petrol; with my family, I thoroughly enjoyed calmly cruising on the same road in a boat-like MG Hector, thanks to its comfy living room nature.

I have a remapped 530d with 300 BHP on tap. I also have a Thar turbo-petrol which is the diametric opposite of the 530d in every way (fuel type, handling, braking, height, steering etc.). Yet, both are equally fun to drive.

You’ll appreciate the Harrier / Safari for the space, styling, tall seating position, contempariness, the fact that lesser people will cut you off on the road, enhanced comfort levels etc. etc. But you will definitely miss the acceleration + handling of your Polo GT TDI. Going by your post, I think you are ready to make the switch.

Presuming you will be driving the SUV and your wife will continue using the hatchback, better to let her make the choice. Try convincing her to drive the Polo, then you will have the perfect combination of cars. That being said, your Polo GT TDI will cost you big bucks with time (check out Gannu’s Polo GT TDI thread, he sold it off after an engine failure and bought a Jazz). As a beater, the Jazz is the superior choice.

Here’s what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:

IMHO, Polo is probably the hardest car to replace given the amazing price point it was offered at. I get to drive few cars (mine and extended family’s) on a daily basis and anytime I get behind the wheel of Polo – I feel a rush of positive emotions  There are cars nimbler than Polo, but they don’t have the solidity of the build like a VW. There are big fast German sedans but they are not as slick as Polo.

Every car is a compromise, the trick is to make the right compromises based on your own personal preferences – what you can tolerate and what you wish to avoid at any cost.

If you are OK with the so-so driving feel to deal with bad roads and to offer more space for family, etc. you can certainly go with some big SUVs that offer a very nice package.

OTOH, if you simply do not wish give up on the driving dynamics – stick to a sedan or a crossover with proper driver’s DNA (Jeep Compass and European ones). For someone coming from 8 years of Polo ownership, you will need just one test drive on the highway to eliminate many popular SUVs/Crossovers.

If you do need three rows, it’s pointless to search for a fun-to-drive car and just pamper family with a spacious and safe car that may drive like a boat.

My recommendation? A sedan if you don’t need three rows.

VW Virtus: Logical choice from a Polo, don’t use a microscope to check the build quality. 1.0 AT, 1.5 MT, 1.5 DSG all are good choices depending on your appetite for risk and how long you plan to keep the car.

Hyundai Verna: Test drive and see if Hyundai has managed to up the game enough to covert a VW fanboy. A decent compromise to avoid the service risks associated with VW.

Preowned Camry Hybrid: The only D segment sedan with low cost of ownership (fuel and maintenance). You will find the new model Camry for 30-35L in Bangalore from reputed sellers like U Trust.

Here’s what BHPian shancz had to say on the matter:

1. Sell the Polo. You’ve bought and enjoyed it at the right time but with 1.2 lakh kms done it runs the risk of recurring and I assume expensive maintenance. The Jazz is quite new and will easily last its RC validity in true Honda fashion. Plus its hard to find a replacement for the space it offers in that price range.

2. Automatic, especially when it comes to larger cars. Safari will take some time adjusting to its proportions and not having to worry about the gears will help a lot.

3. Safari. I don’t see any reason why I would forego the option of having 2 additional seats, which can be folded down when not needed, for an increase of 6.3cm in length and 7.7cm in height.

All that being said my concerns would lie with the all digital instrumentation and controls which have been a sore point with the Safari/Harrier earlier.

Hope they have sorted it out this time.

Here’s what BHPian kosfactor had to say on the matter:

Polo with 5 adults and luggage is neither nice to drive or comfortable, so there you have it, harrier will be an upgrade. Get the automatic of course, they simply cannot get the MT right, its a pain.

Between Safari & Harrier – Harrier is better to drive.

Since you mentioned you love to drive, please test drive Harrier & definitely the Cheetah in the room – XUV7OO, which is what every other SUV-crossover is trying to catch up to.

To retain a well run VAG car Vs an almost new Honda – is that even a question?

Here’s what BHPian athray9 had to say on the matter:

I had friend who was in a similar situation.

He had a 2016 Vento 1.5 TDi MT and wanted to upgrade to a diesel monocoque MT SUV in 2021. The contenders were Harrier, Hector and Compass.

His impressions were the following (all BS6 versions):

1. Harrier: Performance felt very strong with a nice pull at 2K RPM which felt comparable to the vento, handling was also tight with good ride quality (slightly stiff) but the interiors of the pre-facelift was the biggest letdown especially the infotainment system. So overall he felt that the performance (straight line) was on par with vento, he loved the looks of the car, but the interiors were the biggest let down (I love the interiors of the facelift model though).

2.Hector: Performance of the Hector was again strong and comparable to the vento, the interiors felt better than harrier and also had features that made it feel like an upgrade from vento. The handling of the car was the biggest let down, it rolls a lot around corners and the suspension was too soft at higher speeds and that was the biggest problem he found in an otherwise wonderful package.

3.Compass: Performance felt more linear compared to harrier even though the acceleration numbers were faster for the Compass, this made it good for passengers inside the car but he missed the pull from Vento especially after the turbo lag (Compass has faster acceleration numbers compared vento). The ride and handling balance was so good, the car rides so well over bad roads at all speeds but the handling is closer to sedans than the SUVs (of course with more body roll compared to sedans). The interiors of the facelift definitely felt like an upgrade from Vento with respect to features, soft touch materials, overall interior quality and space. He felt the car was worth the asking price.

So finally he ended up getting the compass. It’s been 2 years and about ~30K kms and he has been absolutely happy with his purchase and never regrets it (other than the FE ).

So I believe Compass would be the best option in-terms of upgrading the polo GT TDI which is a legendary car.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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