[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by shekaran

if mahindra gives me the bare chassis and engine, with the bare basic tub, i will also be very much happiest to build my jeep on that existing platform, according to my needs.

+1 am also in, but seriously is it possible? or here also CMVR will come into the picture? Only yellow boards are supposed to be sold like this??

[svsantosh]

Jaggu, why not get a yellow board?

1) We end up paying less road tax initially
2) Insurance is low to begin with too.
3) Can take passengers/load at will to earn back fuel.
3) When banged by someone, other cabbies will come to your support
4) You pay only for the positives of the thar, spend the rest on a make-do body and otr goodies.

[somubj]

Originally Posted by SubuS

If all you need is an AC, that is barely a 15-20k fitment. I would think you are missing out on the fun ownership opportunity for saving very little money (compared to the whole package).

Sir, i am not pointing only at the "money" factor, but also at the "why" factor here.

7 lac is not a small amount (at-least for me), and after spending that, i would need to spend some more on front-facing seats..and other minor DIY stuff. Why should i spend money on a/c as well where as a life style vehicle buyer i am supposed to get the basic stuff along with the machine. Now Bangalore weather is good, so i might not even need an a/c to get along, but how can a buyer from Delhi/Rajasthan point at Thar as a lifestyle vehicle?

Now tell me - "how many people these days end up spending on a/c installation on new vehicles that they buy?". Isn't it too primitive to sell a costly vehicle without an a/c?

It is a great jeep and i WANT TO buy it, but not in the "as-in" state. It will turn out to be too expensive after all the after-purchase fitments/accessories..etc, and if that is the case, why won't i buy the base model of safari and make my family happy as well (it's tough to convince the family to buy a jeep :-)), or for that matter a used safari 4X4?

Reminder: i am not an off-roader, i need a cruiser or a get-away drive. (Di is cheaper, but i need a faster vehicle as well.)

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

+1 am also in, but seriously is it possible? or here also CMVR will come into the picture? Only yellow boards are supposed to be sold like this??

OT: will have to get a badge aka comm vehicle licence endorsed, then worry about each and every cop on the corner, who is out to make money. Worry at check posts while crossing states then the RTO hassle with fitness etc which are recurring. Reason too many for me.

[SubuS]

1. Having an Yellow board is a pain - I did this mistake to my invader, forgot to pay quarterly taxes due to frequent visits to US and laziness and finally ended up paying about 45k to the AP rto (with about 50% fine if you miss a quarter). Also the comm. vehicle badge is necessary - without that, RTO can fine you for about 2k or so.

2. Conversion from yellow to white is another VERY painful process - I did this too - took a life tax + zillion signatures + 1 week of my life lost because the RTO agents don't know how to handle this issue.

3. The quarterly tax starts adding up - believe me Also the RTO queue will usually discourage you from doing anything. IOW, I hate dealing with the govt. in any form, and I try to keep it to a minimum. All because of these troubles with my invader.

4. 8.8L only in bangalore. In chennai etc. it should come to about 8.2 or so. Though you can actually mod a jeep / gypsy for this rate, you will NEVER get this kind of highway ride quality + speeds / diesel engine / off the shelf parts. Not to mention the govt babus - did I mention I hate them?. Remember, I am talking about all purpose + mild offroading.

5. I really think you should look at the DI engine Jaggu - that might suit your needs/budget. My invader did see a bunch of highway travel with minimal discomfort.

6. Open Chassis + engine - AGAIN, govt :( Usually any custom made product like that, will end up costing a lot more in the long run (I did MAJOR mods to my invader, only to get it back to a closed cabin model finally. I will upload pics when I get gallery access.

7. I will repeat some wise man's statements again: Money value is very subjective. No point in discussing whether you think a given price is good or not - because there is always gonna be someone who will spring for it. (In all probability you will too, after seeing enough thars

8. waiting for V2: Mahindra took 2 years to come up with a relaunch in India. The "homologation" took them over an year or so. A hard top vehicle goes under a different category in CMVR (GOVT!!!) - its even mentioned in your RC. If I were you, I wouldn't put my money on a V2 anytime soon. And if V1 doesn't really sell well, Mahindra would probably discontinue this rather than doing yet another 5 cr investment into a V2 - so you will suddenly be left with a mini xylo 4x4 option. (If you like it, great!)

[condor]

Originally Posted by svsantosh

Jaggu, why not get a yellow board?

Compuslory accessories include :

1, Commercial drivers license.
2. Wear brown shirt when driving.

enjy !

[IronWolf]

We all forgot about the Brown Shirt uniform.

MM Why cant you just let us know when the AC and HT options are coming as dealer fitment options so that people can just book their THARs right away?

I see you folks are choosing only few posts to reply directly to. Please reply to the AC/HT issue so that we can bury this issue.

[AWD]

Spoke to friends who happen to be Jeep enthusiasts too. All have the same view point that 6L for Thar in present form is asking a lot. There was a consensus on what is expected at such a price:

-Better fit & finish
-Better interiors
-A.C.
-H.T.(optional & one which does not make it look ugly).

Most were ok with:
-Front IFS
-Side facing rear bench.

In the present form an ex-showroom tag of 5.0 L is the max. they would want to pay.
Ideally the prices should have been:
4.25L for 4x2 Mdi
4.75L for 4x4 Mdi
5.25L for 4x4 Crde.

[SubuS]

AWD, I honestly don't know where your friends are getting their numbers from. In 2003, a similar opentop Invader without 4x4 cost me 4. With 4x4, it was around 4.4 or so. If you add inflation / crde engine / ifs - don't you think the cost is bound to be 6L now?

Subjective valuations are fine, but they have to be under the current economy considerations and constraints. No point in expecting a 7 year old price to remain the same for ever.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by SubuS

5. I really think you should look at the DI engine Jaggu - that might suit your needs/budget. My invader did see a bunch of highway travel with minimal discomfort.
=============
7. I will repeat some wise man's statements again: Money value is very subjective. No point in discussing whether you think a given price is good or not - because there is always gonna be someone who will spring for it. (In all probability you will too, after seeing enough thars

Not that i hate Di or anything, i really would personally prefer a Gypsy 1.3 engine to a Di due to refinement and rev-ability which comes handy on a highway. I have traveled extensively and driven to an extent Robi's invader, which is really good. Still i prefer Crde engine anyday or a 1.3 Suki motor.

Price well, let the numbers speak for itself. Almost all i have spoken including some colleague's (a lady included) who would want to buy an open top diesel jeep feel its shabby and over priced. And trust me i was marketing Thar to them coz i felt it would really fit there needs. I was actually surprised last few weeks with the interest generated by Thar with these crowds.

These are potential buyers with ready cash who were put off after they saw the real thing.

Originally Posted by AWD

Spoke to friends who happen to be Jeep enthusiasts too.
==================
5.25L for 4x4 Crde.

Same feedback but unfortunately i don't see any price revision, its just gonna be our wish.

[star_aqua]

Originally Posted by SubuS

AWD, I honestly don't know where your friends are getting their numbers from. In 2003, a similar opentop Invader without 4x4 cost me 4. With 4x4, it was around 4.4 or so. If you add inflation / crde engine / ifs - don't you think the cost is bound to be 6L now?

Subjective valuations are fine, but they have to be under the current economy considerations and constraints. No point in expecting a 7 year old price to remain the same for ever.

How is the fit and finish of invader compared to today's THAR? The invader doesn't look jugaad to me. I think the invader is derived from bolero and not from 540 if am not mistaken.

[AWD]

Originally Posted by SubuS

If you add inflation / crde engine / ifs - don't you think the cost is bound to be 6L now? No point in expecting a 7 year old price to remain the same for ever.

540/550 is around a 5 decades old platform/vehicle. The dies & materials would have been thrown in junk long ago but if you still use them, gives you a major cost advantage. Let me put it this way, would you buy an Ambassador at an inflated tag(due to so-called inflation, etc)? You might even see logic in buying but does this apply to the masses/max. population? No not at all. For proof kindly check the figures.

VW sells the Beetle & Fiat 500 with new tech, bells & whistles at an inflated tag. Do these find buyers? Only a select few. If Mahindra is looking at Thar as a mass market product, then they are going to be disappointed because market a whole has matured over the last few years & people want bang for their buck & cutting edge products. Not some 5 decades old junk, repackaged with poor fittings & fixtures & a hefty tag attached.

Consumers won't care a dime on why Mahindra did/could not spend on developing Thar or some people could spend rest of their lives in 5*comfort with that kind of money. All they are interested is in the end product, which in this case is pretty disappointing.

[SubuS]

I don't think Mahindra thinks of this as a mass market - 5cr budget and a open top in India

Spike/Vinod, can you reveal the booking numbers for Thar? (If it is not a secret that is, I see Toyota etc. revealing this about fortuner etc. everyday)

[Jaggu]

My gut feel they should have atleast 100 booking from all over India by now otherwise it is worrisome. EDIT: Oops but its not launched all over so should be smaller maybe 30ish??

[Mpower]

What are the options for soft top. Is that readily available from dealer?

Should better than fully open jeep.