Is Tata Abandoning JLR's Acclaimed D8 Platform? Future of Harrier/Safari Uncertain!

Is Tata Abandoning JLR's Acclaimed D8 Platform? Future of Harrier/Safari Uncertain!
Tata Motors proudly brought the D8 platform from Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) to India, which formed the basis for the popular Harrier and Safari SUVs. However, recent developments raise concerns about the future of this platform within the Tata Motors lineup.
The Harrier and Safari, built on the D8 platform, have been performing well in the market, but Tata Motors had initially announced plans to derive more variations from this platform, including a sedan, coupe, or MPV. These ambitious plans seem to have lost momentum as the company's focus has shifted elsewhere.
Currently, the sole powertrain option for the D8-based models is the Fiat-derived 2.0L Kryotec engine, which is widely regarded as underpowered and outdated by today's standards. Tata Motors had intentions to introduce a 1.5L petrol engine and an electric variant on this platform, but progress seems to have stalled.
The crux of the issue lies in Tata Motors' reliance on Fiat (now Stellantis) for engine development. Fiat reportedly demanded exorbitant fees to retune the existing engine or provide a more powerful 2.2L alternative, making it financially unfeasible for Tata Motors. Furthermore, Stellantis has reportedly halted further development of diesel engines, favoring hybrid powertrains for their next-generation SUVs.
Tata Motors, caught off guard by these developments, finds itself in a precarious position. Having failed to invest in their own engine development and banking heavily on the European partnership, they now face the consequences of expensive engineering bills and a lack of suitable powertrains for the D8 platform.
Tata's future plans seem to be centered around the ALFARC platform for their upcoming ICE Sierra and the Acti.ev and JLR's EMA architecture for their Avinya brand of electric vehicles. As of now, there appear to be no new models planned based on the D8 platform, as it requires larger 1.6-2.0L petrol engines or hybrid powertrains that Tata Motors currently lacks or is unwilling to develop.
Moreover, Tata Motors has halted the development of the turbocharged variants of the 2.2 Varicor engine, which had just become reliable with the Hexa model. This decision further casts doubt on the future of the D8 platform within Tata's lineup.
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