Took back-to-back test drives in Jimny & Thar: Here's what I found out

Apart from being off-roader SUVs, at least to me, there is no comparison.

BHPian Rajeevraj recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Had gone to a Nexa showroom with a friend who wanted to check out the Jimny.

Sharing some of my observations.

• Fairly knowledgeable SA. Seemed passionate about the Jimny and its capabilities.
• When I saw Jimny in the pictures, did not like it at all. Somehow did not connect with the styling. Especially since I loved the Thar. When I saw it on the road from a distance, my opinion slightly changed. When I saw it up close in the showroom, I was pleasantly surprised. It looks really nice up close in its own unique way.
• Feels very compact from the outside, but quite spacious inside.
• Somehow manages to look cute and rugged at the same time.
• Liked the fit and finish and the paint job. Looks neatly done.
• The cabin seems a good place to be. The fit, finish, and materials all seemed well done.
• HU and the instrument cluster looked good. HU seemed smooth and easy to operate.
• Was able to comfortably sit in the back seat(I am 5 feet 10).
• Decent amount of boot space.
• SA says the waiting period is 8 months and they get only 4 cars a month. Did not really believe that.

Drive:

• The test drive was off the manual.
• The engine was more refined than I expected
• Did not like the gear shifts. Short throws and the operation did not seem very smooth.
• Drove mostly on city roads including one gravel patch and some pothole-ridden roads.
• In such conditions, the performance seemed more than adequate. So in city use, I don't think anyone will find it wanting.
• The off-road capabilities are well known. So the only area I guess the performance would be a downer is on the highway.
• Overall, it was a short drive, but was fairly impressed with it overall. This is not even considering the off-road capabilities where it is anyway known to shine.

We drove the Thar back to back with this. Both of them seemed to be talked about as competitors to each other. I also thought the same as I was not following the segment much. But honestly apart from being off-roader SUV's in the same segment, at least to me, there is no comparison.

• The Thar looks and feels like a beast. Large and Macho. Jimny as I mentioned above, looks cute but rugged in its own way. Jimny is narrower, but you don't feel that when inside.
• The 2 door Thar and the not-so-easy ingress-egress means that in most cases it can only be a 2nd car. It can never be a single-family car. Jimny on the other hand is more suitable for a family. It can be a single car for a family. Can do the off-roading bit when needed, but otherwise play the role of the family car. Ingress-Egress is also much better.
• Performance-wise, the Thar blows the Jimny out of the water. It is really powerful and fast. Jimny is a more sedate option on regular roads.
• The fit and finish are on par for both cars. Did not make out a difference in the short experience with both.
• The Jimny seems better equipped from what I could infer in the discussions, but the Thar had the options of the soft top, waterproof cabin etc.

Overall, the Thar is a car I have loved and I was like-why is even Maruti bringing in the Jimny against the Thar, after experiencing it, I am impressed and can understand the craze and love for the Jimny. Totally different target customers.

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