[Ragul]

Guys
By now a lot of you have checked out the new Thar - but once crucial piece of information is missing - does the AX monochrome touchscreen accessory have Google maps navigation? What else does it have from the LX version?

[kochup]

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

Kids just love the 'jeep' thing even coming from an SUV like the Safari. .

Request you to please include a comparison between the Storme and the new Thar specially from the front seat view. Have seen the new Thar while testing and along with the 18 inch wheels the driver sits quite high.

[discoverwild]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Then I took the GV for it's usual weekend drive yesterday and was wondering what is wrong with me?! No matter how crazy my itch is, Thar cannot match the comfort, convenience and the versatility that GV offers. Similarly however excited wife maybe, Thar will not be a carefree car for her to drive and park in the spots she visits.

I can't but just smile when I see a lot of members claiming to buy it for their wives. Absolutely not insulting a woman's capabilities, but I find this to be more of an excuse to get the Thar home, so you can indulge with it. Having your cake and eating it too!

Lage raho, Munna Bhai!

Jaggu, sensible decision, I would say.

[Dry Ice]

Whats with the ~9k "incidental charges includes 18% GST" in all the pricelists that are floating around? New name for erstwhile "handling charges"?

[SDP]

OK, here's what happened. First and foremost, this is NOT a THAR review, just sharing an experience.

I was super busy WFH-ing my ass off for last 6 months. Finally got a break over the long weekend and as luck would have it, the THAR Diesel AT CT (convertible-top) was being reviewed around the same time. Coordinated with GTO and checked if I could borrow the THAR for a few hours without compromising the review time. As always, GTO was very accommodating and I picked up the THAR from his place around 6:30 PM on 3rd Oct. He had asked me to check out a video (by Parrys) which showed how to open and close the convertible top on your own. I did that before picking up the THAR.

The top was already down and GTO was super excited after the open-top drive through the day. COVID times, so no long chatting, no close contact. I pushed out soon from Dadar just as it got dark. Got into the seat and realized that the seating position is taller than even my XUV5OO. I am 5'10" and barely managed to slide my butt into the driver's seat. Shorter people would have to use the side-step. A grab-handle on the A-pillar would have helped, but there is none.

I have never driven the old THAR, but have seen the appalling interiors. So once I settled in the driver's seat, the interior design and quality came out as nice surprise. Steering is of perfect size, not too big to be cumbersome, not too small to feel toy-like. The front seats are firm and nicely sculpted. The driver's seat is a good place to be, with everything in easy reach and no ergonomic issues. Once the open-top THAR gets rolling, the realization that there is nothing above your head and all the way behind hits you hard and suddenly you feel like Gaitonde - Kabhi kabhi lagta hain ke apun hee bhagwan hain . Seriously! No sunroof - even the panoramic ones - can match the feeling of cruising in a open-top jeep. The THAR has presence like no other car on the road today. Unless you are willing to spend a few Crores on a super-car in red or bright yellow, you can't get the kind of attention that you get in the new THAR. EVERYONE turns the head when the THAR passes by and owners really need to practice their smug expression as people check out the lucky owner in the driver's seat with a sense of jealousy. You feel like the king of the world!

Sometimes, that exact feeling screws up your judgement and then you ignore the lightning in the sky and the thunderstorm that is brewing up. Couple of kilometers from the starting point and a few drops of rain hit me. The over-confidence whispers in the ear - its a not a big deal.. its bloody October first week and the rains in Mumbai are long gone. I skip couple of opportunities to get under the Khodadad circle flyover and put the top on. Then as I am on the long flyover that bypasses the Ruia college junction, the rain drops start coming down with increased frequency. Stopping on the flyover is not an option as there is no shoulder at all. As I climb down the flyover, its pretty clear that the king of the world is going to get drenched soon. So I bully my way across 2 lanes and pull below the railway bridge near King's Circle. Ideally the place below King's circle bridge should have been reserved for the king, but no.. in next one minute as rain started to come down hard, I was surrounded by about 3-4 dozen bikes. I was on extreme left, but soon 3-4 bikes were parked to my right and caused a major traffic jam. A BEST bus wanted to pass and that meant, squeezing a lot of bikes towards left thereby pinning the THAR from all sides. I was hoping that since the rainy season is already over, the rain should stop in 5-10 minutes. So I avoided getting out and putting the top on. Big mistake. The area just got crowded more and more with more bikers and pedestrians taking shelter under the railway bridge.

With so many people around, started feeling a bit paranoid about the risk of exposure in the open-top THAR. So recollected how to close the top from the video and got out. Pushed the first rod upwards, then with other hand pushed the 2nd one upwards and it sort of got stuck there and wouldn't fall over all the way to the front windshield. Tried it from scratch a couple of times, still no luck. Lesson learnt - online education is not perfect, practice and hands-on experience matters. Lesson number 2 - railway bridges are not like regular flyovers, a lot of water still ends up below the bridge through the bridge. Now with me struggling to put the top-on, the glances of jealousy slowly turned to glances of amusement. One guy approached me - aise nahin karte, andar se button dabake bandh hota hain (Its not done this way, you have to press a button on the inside). Told him that this top is manual and there is no button. Just when I had resigned myself to my fate, a guy offered to help instead of watching the circus. With he on the left and me on the right, on second try, the top straightened up and fell nicely all the way to the front. Thanked him and got inside to clamp the 2 hinges inside. The one on the right, I managed it, but the one on the left just wouldn't clamp with me in the driver's seat. But with the top in place, I was no longer getting wet at least and no water was coming in.

Then it started raining really hard and water started trickling in from the windows where I had not put in the zippered panes. By this time, bikes were so haphazardly parked next to me that the driver's side door could not be pried open to step out. This is not my car, its somebody else's property and although its an off-roader, its not OK for me to let the rain water in. So from inside I moved to the front passenger seat, got out from there and in absolute pouring rain put the plastic window panes on both the sides. With mask on, my glasses were fogging up and so I had taken them off quite some time back. Without spects, it was a task to align the zipper. So I was out for a good 5 minutes just for attaching and zipping up those windows. Needless to say, I was completely drenched by now. Got back in the THAR from left and clamped the other hinge that I had failed to clamp earlier. What an experience! I wondered may be this is what they call "its a Jeep thing". I wasn't sure whether to feel miserable due to getting completely drenched and my struggle to put the top on.. OR to feel elated about the unique once-in-a-lifetime experience. I chose the later . Cutting the long story short, the rain subsided soon, lot of bikes moved on, I moved a couple of them around and freed the THAR and went home.

After reaching home and parking the THAR, I checked out the interior. Rear seats were not wet and luckily the carpet on the wheel arches next to the seats was not too wet. Having sat in both the front seats with wet jeans, the front seats had absorbed a good amount of water and I was worried about returning the car with soggy seats. Full marks to Mahindras for choosing the right material for the seats, by 10pm, the seats had dried quite a bit and next day morning they were absolutely dry as if nothing has happened. The floor mats or rather the entire plastic matting is slippery when wet and you have to be a bit careful.

The plan was to step out with the family (wife age-undisclosed, son 16 yrs, daughter 13 yrs) and head to South Mumbai, spend time near the Gateway of India and Marine Drive, then drive along the queen's necklace, Worli sea-face, sea-link and then drive back home. Either around midnight or next day early morning. The surprise rain shelved the night outing plan. I told the kids that we would step out by 6-6:15 in the morning and we would enjoy roaming around with the open top. I retired to bed bit early dreaming about a nice drive the next day. I was up without an alarm by 4:30am. Checked outside, there was very light drizzle. Urgh...what rotten luck! I freshened up and woke up wife and kids. While I got ready, wife came to me and said its raining. I said its just a drizzle and then I opened the window. By now, it was pouring outside. Urghhh, what the hell! It was still raining when we finally stepped out around 6:15 AM. The kids were experiencing a vehicle like this for the first time and settled down in the rear seats with excitement. Asked them to pay attention to other cars, bikes and pedestrians and how everyone admires the THAR. Rain stopped and almost became a very light drizzle when I pulled over near the Taj Heritage. A couple of pics.




Next stop - sea shore near NCPA / Trident / Air India Building. Found a nice spot opposite Trident and parked.




Again the number of joggers, cyclists and aam junta who checked out the THAR over the next 30 mins was unbelievable. Its as if the THAR has a magical pull that attracts everyone around it. Time for S(ome) DP shots!


Had some flavored milk and some packaged snack. The boot is barely enough for an action camera with accessories bag, another bag with water bottles, a snacks bag and a small ice-box. If you have to take the THAR for a 4-5 day outing, ideally 2 or max 3 people can be carried with luggage.


It was still overcast, with very very light drizzle. We have not experienced the open-top till now. The journey back home starts in another 10 mins and its now or never. So I finally decide to take a chance and open the top. Opening was relatively straightforward with no drama involved. The next 10-12 mins of cruising at a slow speed along the Queen's necklace with the open-top was pure bliss! All 4 of us thoroughly enjoyed it! Absolutely priceless!





The drizzle picked up again around Worli and I put the top on again with the help of my wife. Picked up some speed on the sea link and realized that the convertible top makes quite a ruckus at triple digit speeds. The THAR is definitely quick and you can keep up with and even overtake regular cars with ease. A bit nervous around curves and I would not take the same lines that I would take even in my XUV. Sometimes, with sudden lane changes etc, there is bit of a tramlining feel. Ride is a bit harsh and roaming around Mumbai for half the day (Mumbai roads are nothing short of a mild off-road track BTW), you can feel the road imperfections properly inside the cabin. The speakers are pretty average and I didn't enjoy music in the THAR. The bluetooth pairing had a mind of its own and didn't show my previously paired phone for a good part of the day. Ingress and exit from the second row is strictly for athletic kids and adults. This particular THAR also blared the security alarm a few times without any logical reason. The turning radius is cumbersome. Reversing camera is a must. So its definitely not perfect. BUT, do all these things really matter? I think the following line from GTO's post sums it up pretty accurately.

Originally Posted by GTO

The hard-top Thar is a lot about practicality, but the convertible is romance.

What a day!

[bolbolerobol]

I saw someone asking about FE of Diesel and Petrol.

Here's what I found.

Petrol AT is 8-9kmpl in comments of this review.

https://youtu.be/2DDWIiWMbLY

Diesel MT is 16.9kmpl in this review.

https://youtu.be/OqkDe-pYgfo

This is making me to think twice about my booking of the Petrol AT. I fell for 20 more BHP and Torque.

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by SDP

...suddenly you feel like Gaitonde - Kabhi kabhi lagta hain ke apun hee bhagwan hain .
...
...I wondered may be this is what they call "its a Jeep thing". I wasn't sure whether to feel miserable due to getting completely drenched and my struggle to put the top on.. OR to feel elated about the unique once-in-a-lifetime experience. I chose the later .
...
What a day!

While putting in the booking for the AT Convertible, I was in two minds - HT kept dancing in my head, while heart was set on CT.

Put down my money on CT, but told the sales guy that I'll need a TD of both to make up my mind.

I won't need a TD to make up my mind. Mind be damned, your write up just struck the chord.

#ItsAJeepThing

[abhinavsureka]

SDP perfectly sums up what you can experience with the Thar, so all those people who are planning to buy the Convertible Top just out of sheer excitement and are not thinking about the long term practicality (living with it that way) should think twice IMHO.

I have booked my diesel MT convertible top and at that dealership its the 3rd or 4th car in queue so expecting delivery on the first day itself. The grill will get changed as soon as its available. Has anyone thought about the tyres? are the ceats good or an upgrade to Yokohamas or BF goodrichs should be considered? I'd like to stick to All-Terrain and not go in for MTs for balanced use.

My journey with offroading began in 2012 when a friend took me offroading in his Pajero SFX. Soon after my father and i fell in love with the Pajero sport and after a short test drive booked it. We have driven it through mud, lake beds, streams and jungles. We even participated in TSD rallies with it and finished at the podium both times. Seeing the old Thar's offroad capabilities always made me want one but the lack of basic safety features forbade us.

Now with the new one having all the basic safety features, it just makes everything perfect and the wait till 1st november seems never ending. I plan to use it every day and for long drives / holidays, we have the Pajero Sport and 1 more SUV in the house for the "practicality". My mother also, in fact is excited about this one being an outdoorsy person herself.

Looking forward to the next decade of some great memories with the Thar and i really thank Mahindra for coming up with a vehicle that is fun and practical while being in the reach of a LOT of people.

[Tjv777]

Opinions and suggestion required: Thar LX (D) AT or Jeep Compass 4X4 (D) Used?

[F1 Freak]

Niggles with New Mahindra Thar?

Like every other enthusiast in India, I am also very hyped about the Mahindra Thar.
As a result, I follow many media houses on Instagram too.

Amongst them is Shutterdrives(https://www.instagram.com/shutterdrives/?hl=en) which I really prefer as they really do a thorough review of the vehicle and also throw light on Issues if any.
So while reviewing the new Thar, they found quite a number of major issues.

1) The TPMS warning light was glowing even though the air was refilled a few times.

2) While driving he noticed that the 4L engage warning was continuously blinking. After some time, the car was not able to accelerate beyond 60 km/h. This issue happened occasionally.







3) The ESP OFF too blinked on the instrument cluster occasionally



4) While driving, the gear indicator on the cluster displayed (N) while the car was in 4th gear.



In the screenshots, the instrument cluster looks like some disco dance floor

As I write this post, I observed that the stories have been taken down, and it looks like that a media house has yet again succumbed to corporate pressure from Mahindra

Though I am yet to Test Drive the Thar, these issues do give me a spine chill. Hope they rectify these issues in customer delivery vehicles.

[imranstael]

Originally Posted by Tjv777

Opinions and suggestion required: Thar LX (D) AT or Jeep Compass 4X4 (D) Used?

That depends on what your usage will be.

If you need it for pure offroading, open top driving and don't need to haul people or luggage then the Thar.

If you need a vehicle that is for traveling/long distance, need to carry people/things, want comfort, luxury, driving dynamics and quality then the Compass.

There is no right answer but we should be honest to ourselves about what we need the vehicle for.

[abnormalspirit]

Originally Posted by Tjv777

Opinions and suggestion required: Thar LX (D) AT or Jeep Compass 4X4 (D) Used?

It's a big dilemma in choosing the right vehicle from these two. The Thar has that raw Jeep kind of nature and thar is the answer to your heart while compass will be more of an answer to your mind. If you own multiple cars go for thar otherwise compass.

[justwheels]

Ok I guess this thread started with the whole euphoria about Thar, transited to the amazing launch and then the rather acceptable prices. And during all this I was ecstatic, convinced myself, got my wife by my side in this decision, made sure to live happily with whatever Thar brings at me. Basically convinced myself to be audacious to venture into the Jeep life and deal with what comes after.

Reading last few pages since people started seeing the car at the showroom, it's a lot of talk about how heart might play games and listen to your head and be pragmatic. How you don't want to be like people from a certain area who will buy it only for its snob value and buy it only if half of your life is lived in the jungle or rural areas with you hauling fertilizers in the Thar.

That really got me thinking. Am I being a lunatic, am I in some mid life crisis of not being to fulfill my dream to own a lifestyle vehicle, not being able to drive the curves of sandakphu. Honestly I have been in this phase for few days, and I believe many will be in my shoes. Financial affordability is one thing, but being scared and indecisive is another. Can you afford to go wrong with a 17lakhs spend? Is it a crime to take a decision and then later realise it wasn't for you. As humans are we so rational in all our decisions.

Guess 90% of the world's most iconic offroader, the Land Rover, have not seen even a dirt track. Even the wranglers see the same fate. So let another Thar have the same fate.

Will the Thar give a smile on my face, YES
Will I jump on the first opportunity to grab the keys to even go to the super market, YES
Will I enjoy the attention on the road, YES
Will I be tempted to go to places I never could, YES
Will it come with it's compromises, YES
As GTO said, it's a romance. Am I ready to fall in love again, YES

Apologies for this seemingly offtopic post, but I felt to share.

Now the only question is, Diesel Auto or Diesel Manual. May the romance begin. Best of luck to all.

[vigneshkumar31]

Originally Posted by kochup

Request you to please include a comparison between the Storme and the new Thar specially from the front seat view. Have seen the new Thar while testing and along with the 18 inch wheels the driver sits quite high.

Glad you asked, because I was constantly comparing the Thar with my present ride and wondering the relevance of my mind, comparing a discontinued Storme against a new launch Thar.

The following are my IMHO observations based on my test drive of the Thar vis-a-vis the Safari Storme only.

Visibility - Im 6'0 and I'm used to the Safari seating of 'on the car' rather than 'in the car' and the Thar is no different. Just because I'm coming from the Safari, the Thar's high seating did not look starkly different to me, like many BHPians have reported. I reckon, in the Thar driver sits at par or a tad bit higher than the Safari, and bonnet visibility is very, very good. My wife finds it difficult to drive the Storme because she finds it intimidating from the driver's seat. The Thar, on the other hand was easily manageable for her.
Thar wins.

Exterior Looks - Thar's forte and probably the biggest reason for the Thar's upcoming sales numbers. Don't let anyone tell you that they are buying Thar because it's capable off road or because its a Mahindra or because it has better ride than previous gen. This jeep was designed to impose itself on you. Its sheer overbearing.You look and you book. Any thing else you get with it is bonus.
The Thar is eye candy for most of its owners barring the few who would buy it for its functionality and capability.

Safari Storme is charming and even in the 8th year of ownership, to this day, I turn back and look at it after parking. But the Thar turns heads like nothing else. And I'll add that its not because of novelty of new launch alone. The Thar will continue to turn heads for years to come. There is simply nothing like it.
Thar wins.

Interiors The Storme was Tata's honest attempt at some decent quality but plain jane interiors and its true to that intention. Has stayed that way and nothing to write home about. The Thar's chunky buttons and vertically straight laid out console looks purposeful and screams functionality. It looks its price, barely. Nothing more, nothing less. For a 15-16 lakh car, we wouldn't be unfair to expect better quality interiors. The buttons have been made to look durable, I hope they stay that way. Plastic quality is ok. Ill just say that I like the outside better than the inside.
Storme wins. In 2020. Yes.

Ride Quality The Thar's ride is harsh. There's no better way to say it. It's harsh and you feel the road. The ride gets bumpy too quickly and reminds you constantly that you're in a jeep. Tires may be culprit but its still harsh.
Storme wins.

Engine and Gear Box Comparing both diesel MT, the 130 mHawk against Varicor 140. The Thar has better power to weight in its favour and I felt the Thar more eager to pick up speed, resulting in better drivability compared to my ponderous Storme. The engine and the way the power is delivered, makes the Thar win this round. Have to TD the autobox to comment on that. I can't still thank the Thar for the unique 4x4 AT combination it brings in at this price point. Not everyone needs it. But Im glad it even exists in the sub 20 lakh segment. As crazy as it sounds, between these two BOF, tall SUVs, the Thar is the more fun to drive.
Thar wins.

Space and Practicality Storme wins.

Pricing and VFM Storme is discontinued so it won't make sense for direct price comparison. Closest shot is its archival Scorpio from Mahindra's own stable. Stack it for what its worth against Thar. Pricing has been discussed in detail by many in this thread, including self.

Scorpio 12.42 - 16.47 (Practical, full size , can be only car and daily driver, SUV)
Thar 9.80 -13.75 (Lifestyle, 2+2, second car as weekender, fun, jeep)

I think its great value for money for the lifestyle quotient and a rugged 4x4 at the entry level trims. Its VFM proposition starts fading away the higher you go towards the top end AT diesel. Considering practicality and at best a 2 seater with luggage, you really need to love the Thar to commit to the top end. Some would. And I would totally understand why.

Verdict: If you liked the old Thar for its character, you will love the new thar for its gusto. The Thar '20 is an improvement over the previous generation in every way and makes good the character flaws that made it so hard to bring the previous gen home regardless of how much you loved it. The 2020 Thar does what the RE Classic 350 did to the Standard Bullet. Made it more mainstream.

For me the Safari Storme stays.

[navpreet318]

Originally Posted by F1 Freak

Niggles with New Mahindra Thar?..............

While I'm sure that there will be niggles in the new Thar like any other vehicle I'll just chime in with a few points having experienced similar issues in similar vehicles.
TPMS lights come up even in Audi vehicles. This is not just limited to the Thar alone. Multitude of reasons. Someone trying to reset it might have entered the wrong values. The sensor might have been damaged owing to the jumps and abuse which media houses have been putting the vehicle through. It is a device and it can fail. Wrong to blame it directly on the Thar alone. Has happened to vehicles which have been in the market for years.

4 Low issue. Now this is an important point I wanted to highlight.
4L is a ratio which is required to be activated with the vehicle at standstill, gear in neutral and clutch depressed in a manual.
While mostly it is fool proof but sometimes when the 4L is put while the vehicle is moving it can damage the motor or 4x4 system all together.

I have had safaris for as long as I remember. All of them 4x4 with the similar electronic TC.
Drivers in 2 of our cars changed to 4L while on the move. Nothing happened immediately but in a couple of days intermittently the 4L light started glowing.
Then it started glowing permanently and the car went into limp mode.

Good news was that the 4x4 motor had failed and not the TC. They changed it. And voila. Problem resolved.

I'm sure that the ESP light too is due to 4L because ESP is generally turned off in 4L mode.

The vehicles given to journos were pre production. They were massively abused by the journos.
While I don't content the fact that there will be niggles with any newly launched vehicle it is wrong to target particularly Mahindra or the Thar.

A lot of people will buy it. And I will be one of them. And I would appreciate that the new owners report as many niggles as possible for Mahindra to be active and resolve those as soon as possible by means of recalls and generate confidence in all customers.