Harrier facelift vs Jeep Compass in a drag race: Who wins with the same engine? [Video]

When it comes to premium compact SUVs in India, two cars stand out from the rest of the segment. These two SUVs are the Jeep Compass and the newly launched Tata Harrier facelift. Both of these cars offer many premium features, and both come equipped with big engines. Recently, a drag race between these two SUVs was held to find out who will come out on top of the two. Now, the video of the drag race between these two cars has been shared online.

2023 Tata Harrier facelift vs Jeep Compass

The video of the Jeep Compass vs. Tata Harrier facelift has come courtesy of Power On Wheel from YouTube. The video starts off with the presenter introducing the two SUVs and mentioning that both get the same engines underneath their bonnets. Both the Compass and the Harrier facelift get the same 2.0-litre Kryotec turbocharged diesel engine, which produces 170 bhp of maximum power and 350 Nm of torque.

He then mentions that the main differentiating factor between these cars’ drag race will be their weights. The presenter states that the Jeep Compass weighs in at 1565 kgs. Meanwhile, the new 2023 Harrier facelift weighs in at 1650 kgs. In total, there is a considerable weight difference of 85 kgs between these two SUVs. Soon after the introduction, the presenter and the other person start the drag races by lining them against each other on the start line.

Drag races

The presenter first sits in the Jeep Compass, and after this, they start the race. Before the race, he does not mention what settings their cars are and if the air conditioning systems have been kept on or not. However, the race then starts between the two cars, and in the first race, the presenter with the Jeep Compass gets off the line very quickly with a perfect launch, and the Harrier gets left behind.

Soon after this, they take a U-turn, and the presenter switches his place with the driver in the Tata Harrier facelift. After changing, in the first time, the Jeep Compass driver could not launch the vehicle in time, so they start the race again from a standstill. However, the second launch becomes perfect in both cars, and this time around as well, the Jeep Compass easily wins the drag race.

Why did the Jeep Compass win?

Now, as mentioned above, both of these SUVs come powered by the same 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel engine that makes around 170 bhp and 350 Nm of torque. However, still, the Jeep Compass managed to beat the Harrier facelift. For those who may be wondering how this happened, the short answer is power-to-weight ratio.

In simple words, the power-to-weight ratio is a measure that compares the power produced by the engine of a vehicle to its fully laden weight. It is a similar comparison to how strong someone is relative to their body weight. Now, when the power-to-weight ratio is higher for a vehicle, it means that it is more powerful and quicker and has a better performance potential.

However, the vehicles which have a lower power-to-weight ratio, it means that they are slower. Additionally, vehicles with a higher power-to-weight ratio also tend to handle better because there’s less weight to move with each unit of power. In the case of the Harrier vs. Compass, the Harrier weighs more, so the power-to-weight ratio of the Harrier is lower than that of the Compass, and hence, it lost despite making the same amount of power.