[Slipstream11]

Originally Posted by Shan_Kmu

I'm surprised to see 2.0 turbo petrol producing more torque than 2.2 turbo diesel. Any thoughts on this ?

Th same diesel engine is going to power the new Scorpio. Hence the engine is capable of delivering more, however, tuned conservatively for the Thar.

[fulcrum29]

Took a test drive of the Thar today at Mahindra Pathankot. It was the Diesel automatic LX hardtop. Found the straight line stability to be quite nice. Found the overall driving experience to be slightly better than the current Gen Scorpio. Front armrests were sorely missed. Road presence was unmatched. Did a bit of spirited driving on kuttcha roads and found the ride quite bouncy as expected. Sore point for me were the brakes. Found them to be quite spongy and they lacked any bite or feel. Also I found the accelerator and the brake pedal to be quite close together. There was a time when I pressed the accelerator along with the brake while stopping. Would love to test drive the petrol as that's the one I'm more interested in. Here's a pic of me in the showroom.

[46TheDoctor]

Fantastic review but it was kind of a reality check for my plans!

The biggest Con for me is Ride Quality! I always give top priority to ride/handling quality when i buy any car over it's competitors. I want to buy a diesel AT car which i will use daily in the city. Initially i thought that Thar Convertible can do that job along with frequent nature outings but now i think that offroading duties will be continued by my Pajero Sport until the Thar V2 is launched and i will buy some other diesel AT car for the city usage.

While i want the Thar badly, i find ride quality and some other Cons to be hard to live with. Also, if i buy Thar, it will remain with me atleast for next 10 years, so i want that Thar to be well sorted, niggle free and a best possible version of itself.

So, i think i will wait just like GTO for the V2 in which i hope that most of the Cons are sorted by then and even higher spec version is launched in the future.

[SportsMedicine]

Thanks Aditya and GTO for the non-partisan and apropos review. Rated 5 stars.

I have a query regarding insurance of the new Thar. I booked Napoli Black Diesel HT AT on 2nd October itself in Surat, Gujarat. Now as the quotation has come in the insurance (Comprehensive + 3 years of third party + zero depreciation) costs 94,184 INR.

I got quotes from my agent which includes everything mentioned above at 60,000-61,000 INR. Now thats a whopping difference of 34,000 INR.

I contacted sales executive and was told:"Sir, its compulsory to take insurance from us for the new Thar. Incase of a mishap if you have taken insurance from outside, cashless will not be done."

My question to fellow BHPians who have booked the new Thar is are you facing the same problem with compulsory in-house insurance with Thar?

Quotation attached below.
THAR SURAT.pdf

Please Guide.

[landcruiser123]

Looks like Indian customers want more than the agricultural old that and Mahindra has delivered. Great pictures, rating the content 5*

Mods: I'm a big fan of the old review style - can we please bring that back? I prefer having dedicated post(s) for each section*.

*In this review format, I read about the interior in Post #1, but have to find additional information & images in Post #4. For cross-referencing anything, I have to scroll back up past Post #2 and Post #3.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by 46TheDoctor

Fantastic review but it was kind of a reality check for my plans!

The biggest Con for me is Ride Quality! I always give top priority to ride/handling quality when i buy any car over it's competitors. I want to buy a diesel AT car which i will use daily in the city.

Even I felt disappointed after reading about the road manners of the Thar! Someone should swap suspension parts from Tata's SUV

On a serious note, would be amazing if we could get superb quality aftermarket suspension components to sort this out. Hope some brave soul tries something out!

[abhinavsureka]

I got the chance to drive both the MT and the AT diesel.

MT: decent gearshifts and a light clutch will not make it inconvenient in the city. (P.s I currently drive the Pajero sport and duster, both have heavy-ish clutches)
One issue is the lack of space for the left foot. No pedal or space to keep the left foot. Will get used to it in a few days.

AT : was a shorter drive. Gearbox is decently responsive. When u shift manually, the display lags and updates your current gear a little late. Very convenient for the city and for everyday use. Here again the left foot feels weird because of lack of space and the absence of a dead pedal.

I had booked my Diesel MT convertible top LX on 2nd October itself without a test drive and am happy about my decision.

Manual transmissions are losing their popularity and the Thar being a purely recreational vehicle for me I want it to be as pure as possible. The other cars in our house will slowly switch over to automatics as they get replaced.

[indian21r]

Glad to see that Apple Car Play and Android Auto are both supported. I use a 7" screen on Scross 1.6 and I feel that is a decent size. No unnecessary distractions at all . Maybe I haven't seen to many bigger options to miss the screen size. Only wished it had ACC, Auto headlamps, rear wiper, etc. Nice conveniences to have

In between any updates on the Hard Top removal and customizations. I guess in 3 to 4 months we should see some easily replaceable panels. Getting a rubber seal to keep the road noise controlled at the existing HT levels also seem like a feasibility.

Had the Convertible top come with openable windshield, then CT / HT would have been easily differentiated. From the pictures i see, Roll cage / Middle speaker panel etc everything is the same in HT and CT. Ease of removal / safety and wind noise are the deciders. The front panel over the 2 doors should be easily done into 2 or at the max 3 panels.

From what I see apart from the one time Modification that HT may entail to create lockable / removable panels, HT maybe be safer bet for daily use including road noise. Speed of 100kmph on our Highways is should be good enough as we have really limited set of roads supporting higher speeds. Reaching that will matter more in this case I guess what with the bounce a key part of the DNA

What modifications does the team foresee which will not really cause us to break the law.

1) Wires on the Hood (To prevent branches damage)
2) Suspension mods if Any
3) HARD Top replacement panels ( Buy Hard top and customize it, Now how to store them maybe a different matter though)
4) Tires downsized to 16" (Wish they had given the option to have white wheels on the LX Auto HT. It would have been good savings for someone exploring tires change and make the ride better). How are the alloys quality

1)Winch adds to character. But guarantee to be a rule breaker I hope RTO's can add certain rules that allow modifications to be legally registered. Life would have been really simple.

Originally Posted by SportsMedicine

Now as the quotation has come in the insurance (Comprehensive + 3 years of third party + zero depreciation) costs 94,184 INR.

I got quotes from my agent which includes everything mentioned above at 60,000-61,000 INR. Now thats a whopping difference of 34,000 INR.

That is very dealer specific. The dealers in Hyderabad said that they will try to match the outside insurance quote. As I was not looking for any other discounts per se, I was very clear insurance will be my choice. Tell the dealer straight you are will to take the risk with cashless claims etc. Support maybe a little less from SA's in these instances but that is about it.

Dealer in Hyderabad said to expect deliveries near the year end if I book now. So some cancellations may happen here and there. I think I will get the 2021 MY ride only as I don't see booking one until I can freeze the color and this will happen only after the regular deliveries start. As of now except black all the colors are in the race.

[Slipstream11]

Originally Posted by SportsMedicine

My question to fellow BHPians who have booked the new Thar is are you facing the same problem with compulsory in-house insurance with Thar?

Quotation attached below.
Attachment 2068986

Please Guide.

The insurance is as per the whims of the dealer. You will get a much cheaper quote from outside. Push the dealer to accept it. My dealer is okay with the arrangement. In fact they have asked me to share the quote (from outside) and they have promised to match it.

[Born 2 Be Wild]

Originally Posted by SportsMedicine

I have a query regarding insurance of the new Thar. I booked Napoli Black Diesel HT AT on 2nd October itself in Surat, Gujarat. Now as the quotation has come in the insurance (Comprehensive + 3 years of third party + zero depreciation) costs 94,184 INR.

In Delhi, the insurance quote is 85K Approx from dealer, I told my Mahindra sales rep I am not ready to pay that much. Mahindra sales rep said he will give me a competitive rate, I have clearly mentioned to him if the quote is not as per market pricing for a new policy I will get the insurance from my own agent who has quoted 58K for a Zero depreciation policy with engine cover! He said its ok with them if I get the policy from outside.

Your sales rep is scaring you that is all, in case of any mishap claim is covered by the insurance provider not the car company.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Short radio antenna, again, screams style! We like how Mahindra has restricted the use of chrome to just the badging. Minimal chrome on the car apart from these:

This will probably end up in the hands of the average jobless itchyfingers by the street to pick their noses or ears. The position is too accessible.

Fuel lid can only be opened with the key. There’s no release lever inside the cabin. Reason? Security from vandals in the soft-top / open Thars:

Full tank to full tank refueling will be a better option to limit the number of passing over the keys in these covid times. But still Petrol owners will do a lot of this. Or get down and DIY the fuel flap for each refill.

Should be a easily converted to an internal release by an expert tinkerer in the coming days. Have seen this done in older vehicles using readily available parts.

The 57L fuel tank is well-sized:

57L is well sized for Diesel, but for petrol not. Just for reference Diesel Innova has 55 liter fuel tank and the petrol Innova 65 liter tank to mitigate the range issues. I expect similar fuel efficiency for Thar Petrol and if driven under boost, read as having fun, even lesser than Innova Petrol.

Apart from that the frame rail looks very beefy and solid

Originally Posted by Aditya

Standard illuminated keyhole. So many cheaper cars get an engine start button + smartkey! I missed it, but GTO prefers this conventional arrangement in Jeeps:

Thank god for that, a key in its slot is the best place for it to be.

If you haven't engaged 4x4 in a while, the MID reminds you of the fun you've been missing!

The message should have been "You haven't engaged 4x4 in xx Km, go buy a Marazzo".

Doors have a free-hinging open & closing action. This strap prevents the door from swinging out too far. They shut with a nice, solid feeling:

The strap is not just a strap, the nylon strap is a wire conduit and both doors have wires going in for power windows, power mirrors and door locks. The strap can probably be unplugged from under the dashboard when doors are removed like the Wrangler.

And there is a dedicated door stopper provided for in the Thar (unlike a Wrangler) as can be seen in the photo; by this inclusion I guess Mahindra does not expect the doors to come off on as many Thars as many times.

More "Thar". Mahindra is clearly vainglorious about this brand:

They have made sure that one can't debadge the Thar

Footwell is very narrow and it's quite sad that there’s no dead pedal. Not as much of a problem in the AT as it is in the MT where there is no space to rest your left foot! Besides, there is a protrusion from the side of the center fascia which many drivers (particularly larger ones) will find interfering with their shin / leg area - check it out on the top left of this image. The floor area is washable & Mahindra has provided drain plugs to get the water out:

Does the door strap mess with the feet when doors are closed? I hope it does not, but you say the foot well is cramped so wondering if it does.

Leather-wrapped AT gear-shifter with manual mode; push the lever up to upshift and down to downshift (just the way we like it). "Fun mode" 4x4 lever on the left:

One of the best things I like about the Thar, the Aisin 6 speed Automatic Transmission. Afaik this is the same unit (read family) that does duty in the Fortuner.

Glovebox is laughably small. It is lockable - that's a must in open Jeeps - but not illuminated. The finishing of the plastic is not smooth:

Holds a pair of gloves. Nuff said!

Carpeting material has been used to cover up the rear wheel wells which protrude into the cabin. Good luck cleaning it if it gets wet during an open roof or off-roading session. As you can see, the carpet is also fitted in a rather crude manner:

Wasted space in an already cramped interior. At the least the space could have been used to provide some lockable cabin storage options.

Originally Posted by Aditya

Ride Comfort

The Thar comes with an independent double wishbone suspension at the front and a multilink suspension with coil-over dampers and stabiliser bar at the rear. This is a body-on-frame offroader with a short wheelbase. You know what's coming, right? Ride quality is sad, whether in the city or on the highway. It is liveable though. If you have driven Jeeps, Gypsys, Scorpios or even the 1st-gen Fortuner before, you should be okay. For those used to contemporary hatchbacks, sedans & crossovers, this bumpy ride will be the biggest deal breaker. You feel each & everything on the road – literally! Even on a clean expressway, the Thar is continuously pitching and moving up & down. Big bumps come in strong. And if you drive slowly on broken roads, you can expect a lot of side-to-side swaying. The single time that the Thar is settled & flat is when it’s standing in one place .

Thar has same suspension layout (independent double wishbone with coil spring up front and 5 link coil spring live axle at the rear) as Fortuner or a Prado and Thar's wheelbase is a foot shorter than a Fortuner, Prado but the same as that of a SWB Prado (2450mm).

Probably nothing a proper suspension tuning can't fix instead of blaming the not so short wheelbase.

[techfreak]

Originally Posted by justwheels

Quick question for those who have booked the Thar. Did you get any confirmation date of delivery from Mahindra or only a tentative date from dealer?
My dealer Sireesh Auto, is saying Mahindra will send delivery date and I have not got any even after getting an order confirmation on Monday.

Any inputs if the dealers story is correct ?

Booked on 06 October but no confirmed date of delivery. Just a vague 1st week of December from dealer side.

[Hayek]

Wonderful review Aditya and GTO, and glad to note that it is out even before the car starts reaching customers. You have done a great job of bringing out the fact that while this is a car that appeals much more to the heart than the head, it has taken steps in reducing the cognitive dissonance that buyers would suffer from. This car looks super cool - what people from my generation would have called a “Chick Magnet”, even if I presume that term is much too sexist to be used in today’s Woke world.

Would I buy one? Unlikely, have never driven off road, and am unlikely to do so, and I am the kind of the guy who felt that the Discovery Sport has too much body roll. But well, I have a third parking that is unused - so who knows😀. Suspect that my son would love one when he turns 18 a few years from now - and that would give Mahindra enough time to iron out the flaws.

[dhanushmenon]

Thanks Aditya and GTO for a very detailed and unbiased review; as always. The car is definitely a looker and will turn many heads at all places it treads. However, at this price range, I guess the common grouse would be whether it is worth for a common guy in market. Yes, the target audience itself is not the common man. However, don't they need numbers to show on their account books?

Well, with the immense fan following the existing Thar has, I hope Mahindra will have a success story on their coffee tables. I really wish they do.

[iamjoelj]

Originally Posted by SportsMedicine

My question to fellow BHPians who have booked the new Thar is are you facing the same problem with compulsory in-house insurance with Thar?

Please Guide.

Have booked the Thar Diesel AT HT, and was quoted Rs.99543 at Pothens Kochi. Since delivery is going to take a while, decided to negotiate later on it.