[highwaypatrol]

What is wrong in seeing many Thars on the road? It would be greedy of us to think only few get to own such a beautiful jeep. As a person who have driven over 2 lakh kms in Bolero & old gen Thar combined, I can safely say that normal guy who drives a small hatch or a sedan can easily transform into a real jeeper with the kind of creature comforts this new gen Thar offers, and he will enjoy this transition. More over, thats exactly how M&M has positioned this new offering to the market.

[jkrishnakj]

I booked mine today - Diesel AT / Hard top. Black.

It’s been decades of wishing to own one. My wife is the happiest today.

This perhaps would have been our fastest car booking done. I am yet to test drive it. The showroom sales exec said he’ll get the car home for a TD.

This was said after I paid the booking amount. I am still puzzled on how he can manage that. Lets see ..

The wait begins... it is going to be a long wait !

[vm27]

I have been eyeing the Thar for the past 10 years but somehow couldn’t get round to owning one. Part of it was also the bare bones nature of the car. Even though I’ve had many many rides in a jeep/jonga/commander/armada/bolero or similar cars during my younger and teens years, the household has never have owned a jeep or gypsy before. Therefore the below is completely from the perspective of a fence sitter.

I need to replace my daily drive car due to the 10 year rule for diesel cars in NCR and was extremely excited that the new Thar was launching. Got myself registered with Mahindra directly and their sales rep had me lined up with Koncept Motors that is nearest to my house. The dealership called me on 1st and informed me that they are closed on 2nd October but I am welcome to visit them on 3rd for the launch of the vehicle.


Note: A few follow up calls were also made by them to ensure that I would be coming on 3rd itself.

I went with a friend who happens to come from a family that has owned several Mahindra cars. She also incidentally happens to be quite well versed with engines, transmissions, low range gearbox and was equally excited about the Thar being launched in its new avatar.

I am considering the Diesel LX HT AT in Copper or Aquamarine. Koncept had the Diesel LX HT MT in black.

First Look Impressions:

• The Car is pretty imposing and massive from the front and back.
• The boxy design makes it a big car all round but I found that the black colour masked its size when viewed from the side.
• This car had the Chrome package on it which I didn’t really like.
• The doors and tailgate are pretty hefty and have a thud to their closing.
• The tyres are huge and look extremely cool.
• Alloys are nice and thankfully in matte finish. However alloys in the style of steel wheels would have been better.
• Plastic cladding on the bumpers are a hit or a miss. For us, they were a miss.
• Enormous front bumper. Back bumper is decent sized as well. Sadly both have a very plastic feel to it.
• Front seats are comfortable and encase the rider and pillion well. Can be sat on for long drives.
• Rear seats are adequate in cushioning but clear step brothers to the front ones.
• Under thigh support is lacking all round.
• Rear space although not claustrophobic due to the lack of any windows, is bare minimum for 2 average size adults.
• Rear foot wells are simply laughable.
• Pillion footwell is adequate.
• Rider footwell is just baffling. There is simply no space other than feet on the pedals.

Note: I'm 6’3” and as a true test of any car, I could hop from the pillion to the driver seat, with a little effort.

• Steering feel and placement is good. Rider gets a lovely view of the road.
• Front facia looks extremely nice and swanky.
• The diesel engine is extremely silent. We were totally taken by surprise when someone going for a TD started up the car. Just didn’t realise that it had been cranked.
• Sadly the exhaust note too is silent.
• Boot space, if rear seats are reclined to their maximum can at most accommodate 2-3 gym bags. That is also if you stuff them and just throw the door to shut and pray the latch locks.
• The front storage compartment is good enough to keep your phone, its charger and a few pen drives. Thats it. Its cute. Not at all practical.

Although I was registered for a TD, I declined the option seeing the sheer number of people waiting in line to get theirs. I didn’t want a 5 min TD [which was the max being allowed].

Note: Credit where it is due, after each TD, Koncept employees changed the disposable seat covers and sanitised the front of the car.

I will be going for a TD sometime next week when the rush calms down and I can test the car properly. TD review to follow then.

The heart was thrilled at the prospect of the new Thar. The pricing of 17.**L On road for the variant I want has been a big dampner and seems extremely steep with the above considerations. The mind surely has a lot of valid points to make against the heart as it stands.

For now, here are some pictures

[Slipstream11]

I test drove the LX Diesel MT HT (black) earlier today. While I have read most of the feedback posted here on the Thar, thought the following additional observations will add value to prospective owners:

1. The rear seats fold alright, however keeping heavy luggage on them (backside of the rear seat back-rests) is not advisable. The back is hollow and any heavy load on them might make them collapse. A plausible alternative would be to place a plywood plank and then place the heavy stuff on it (to distribute the load).

2. The official list of accessories along with the pricing was not available with the dealer. They say it is yet to reach them.

3. The insurance offered by the showroom is definitely on the higher side and it can be procured from outside. The dealer however asked me to share the quote and they will match it.

4. I am attaching the price list that I have received today from the dealer (Viman Nagar, Pune). It's a revised one (from the one I shared here yesterday).

5. Please refer the yellow box around the three headers - Essential Accessories, Extended Warranty for 1 year and Road Side Assistance (RSA). These three items can be done away with completely which will bring the on-road price down.

6. I am 6 feet tall and have big feet. I did not find the lack of foot space (left foot) in the driver side foot well to be a problem. I have a habit of keeping my left leg folded when not using the clutch.

7. The rear seats provide enough knee room, even when I pushed the driver seat three quarters back.

8. However, the foot space is an issue in the rear seat. Behind the driver's seat, I had enough space to slide my right foot under the driver's seat pretty comfortably. But my left foot was a bit lost - I didn't know where to keep it.

9. A natural and comfortable seating position in the rear seats can only be achieved if the occupant reclines the back-rest completely. This eats further into the available boot-space.

10. On the colors, the showroom had black and aquamarine only. I insisted on checking out all the available colors in person before booking the vehicle (I prefer Rockey Beige). I was told that its not possible because there are no cars in the stockyard. They place orders with M&M based on confirmed bookings (at least now). The only way I can get access to a Rockey Beige Thar is if and when a customer books it and the vehicle arrives at the showroom.

11. I found the gear lever a bit wobbly. The slotting wasn't crisp and lacked firmness.

[Zappex]

Thar was an object of desire in 2010, and I got sold on it even before a test drive. Things the Thar did to me:

• I was convincing myself to live a life without an AC
• Debating about the importance of airbags
• Remembering the joy of manual transmission
• Saving up for a slipped disc due to the harsh ride quality
• Planning on carrying bandages due to sharp edges around the car

My head or what got left of it; had to prevail. The Thar went out of contention for all practical reasons. I would be a spotter and envy those who could live with it.

It isn't easy to put in words what attracted me towards the new Thar, the niche positioning, two-seater vibes, 4WD Automatic (Finally!) or the fact that it was now wholly habitable.

I initially booked the third Nexon in my family (EV guise), but the range wasn't cutting it. I was on the lookout for an alternative, in what might seem like the most bizarre case of cross-shopping; ended up booking the Thar



"Thar was never on my radar until Mahindra made it so compelling and mainstream."

Positives:

+Attention magnet (A simple u-turn gathered eight people!)

+Proper SUV with off-road capability

+4WD automatic drivetrain

+Good build quality

+Seats with lumbar support

+Cruise control, Apple Carplay etc

+All black interiors

Negatives:

-Ride quality is okay, and it is marginally better than the Scorpio. Which would mean that it is livable; coming from a Nexon, it feels harsh!

-Handling is average, and the steering could do with more feedback. I understand that it will be no corner carver.

-Boot space or the lack of it, I wish it had a wee bit more to fit a regular bag without losing the rear seats.

-Quirks:

• Key opening for the fuel lid
• Exposed wires
• Lack of dead pedal and armrest
• Coarse finish near the back seat
• Glove box size

-Pricing could have been sweeter for the initial adopters

The initial booking was for the Aqua Marine colour, and I paid the amount on the launch day. The next day, I went for a test drive and was blown away by the black!

That colour change delayed the initial allotment, I pushed the dealer to give me the first January 2021 manufactured vehicle.

In what I think was a positive, buying the Aria taught me to wait and not jump at the first car, I do not have nerves of steel like GTO to wait it out for a year. But January 2021 seemed close enough!

Booking details:

Model: LX
Transmission: Automatic
Engine: Diesel
Top Option: Hard Top
Colour: Napoli Black

Accessories:

• Rain Visor with Chrome Insert - Thar
• Front & Rear Mud Protector
• Vinyl Mat Set (smoke grey) - Thar - High, Mid
• SS Door Sill Protector
• Magnetic Sun Shades Set
• Steering Wheel Cover (Vinyl)
• Reverse Camera
• Front Parking Sensors
• Heads Up Display

Lots of details to share in the ownership post, this will be my primary car.

Until then,
Zap

[Slipstream11]

Congratulations!!
Can you please share the pricing of the accessories?

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by Zappex

Lots of details to share in the ownership post, this will be my primary car.

Congratulations! Aren't they offering the insect mesh grille as an accessory this time around? Or does it come as OE fitment?

[Zappex]

Originally Posted by Slipstream11

Congratulations!!
Can you please share the pricing of the accessories?

Done

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Congratulations! Aren't they offering the insect mesh grille as an accessory this time around? Or does it come as OE fitment?

I was not offered the same, I did however come across a video showing some kind of mesh inside the grill.

[jkrishnakj]

Originally Posted by Zappex

Thar was an object of desire in 2010, and I got sold on it even before a test drive. Things the Thar did to me:

My head or what got left of it; had to prevail. The Thar went out of contention for all practical reasons. I would be a spotter and envy those who could live with it.

It isn't easy to put in words what attracted me towards the new Thar, the niche positioning, two-seater vibes, 4WD Automatic (Finally!) or the fact that it was now wholly habitable.

Until then,
Zap

I can relate to everything you said here. It’s the same itch since 2010. And after 10 long years , I took the plunge today. Wait for the delivery is definitely going to be a very long one for me. Till then , I’ll find a good buyer for my Baleno.

[Durango Dude]

The New Thar is a quantum leap over all previous iterations. If only they had made better utilization of space on offer: rear is a huge compromise and coupled with lack of rear doors adds to the misery. They could have added rear doors and made the bench a little wider to cover the wheel wells would have made it better. It remains what it was and will be "a true lifestyle" vehicle with better refinement and creature comforts.

[amol4184]

Dealer in Pune did not have test drives yet. They are starting next week. With that said they had 2 black LX Thars available for public viewing. Word of caution for anyone going there (Sahyadri motors), just too many people getting touchy feely with the car. I went back to my car and brought Clorex wipes with me. I wiped down door handle and steering wheel etc. The employees there were trying to limit the crowd but the interest in new Thar is just crazy. Next time I'll go there on a weekday in the afternoon.

Anyhoo, there's lot of observations made earlier in this thread and one of them caught my attention - cramped foot wells. So that was my first thing to note. I'm 6-2, shoe size 11.5. The footwell, was surprisingly good enough for me. May be I'm less demanding? I can't be sure but my nephew who is 5-8, shoe size 10 said footwell is okay, too. People who are upgrading from smaller hatches will find no problem problem with Thar's footwells IMHO. A test drive will of course reveal more.

Also, the clutch felt pretty light at stand still. Compared to Duster, the clutch was a revelation.

I realize that this is not a vehicle to carry multiple luggage but airport trips, especially international travel with 2 large suitcases is nay impossible. The boot space with rear seats in place is absolutely minimal.

People who are thinking of this vehicle as hybrid of utility and daily driver should /must go for AX 6 seater model. My father wants to carry farming equipment, sacks and other oddly shaped stuff and LX is out of question.
The vehicle looks supremely rugged and I'm glad MM have given distinct choices for people with specific needs. I would certainly be interested in bare bones AX but dealers are yet to receive those. I'm also not a fan of black color and would have preferred to see red or Rocky beige color. Hopefully for AX they get some other color for displaying in showrooms.

I had a feeling that they fixed rear wheel arch finish on the inside but they haven't. It's pretty rough just like in pre launch vehicles. It's not too bad but does feel incomplete. The screws are exposed but not dangerous. A simple DIY hack should be able to hide them. I'm sure there are lot of people with handy skills like that.

The pricing is pretty clever. One look at the price sheet and you are tempted to upgrade. I would not be surprised if people end up spending a lot more than they planned on after seeing the difference in variant prices. Smart play by MM. Like a lot of other comments, I felt soft top versions are over priced (or hard top versions are under priced?). With clear advantages that HT has over ST for only 10k, I am baffled who will opt for ST.
Besides all that, I asked if there's any plan for diesel AX - STD model and expectedly, no one had any idea.

[CliffHanger]

I'm due for a car change, yet to see the Thar, but totally confused between the Thar and the upcoming XUV 5oo. But I think as someone in mid 30s, I will go with the family's comfort first approach to skip the Thar. My first automobile love as a tiny kid was the Jeep, but I think I will keep the family first to let go of the old love.

[GP19]

Originally Posted by Zappex

Attachment 2062898

Was the Tire White Lettering (WL) only for press cars ? Or It comes at an extra cost ?

[Abhishek3001]

Originally Posted by GP19

Was the Tire White Lettering (WL) only for press cars ? Or It comes at an extra cost ?

I think it must be a promotional thing by Ceat.

[sam003]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

I'm due for a car change, yet to see the Thar, but totally confused between the Thar and the upcoming XUV 5oo. But I think as someone in mid 30s, I will go with the family's comfort first approach to skip the Thar. My first automobile love as a tiny kid was the Jeep, but I think I will keep the family first to let go of the old love.

I am at 45, planning to go with love and keep family in another Car