Mahindra Thar MDi Thread (more pics at page 24)

[kavesh55]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

All of you know my "Black Thar" and the way she flies! The best is yet to come. .

Enjoy !!!!!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

I still have to experience it. Please let me know next time 521 is in town.

[gsferrari]

But Behram sir - we cannot buy this unless we have a farm address outside metro

Why not BS-IV in this day and age?

[AWD]

Called up local M&M dealership, as usual they have no info. The person concerned replied that they may be able to get a MM550 on order from the Company & would take 2.5 months. He had not even heard of Thar!

This would usually be the case with every other company I guess, as these things are kept under wraps till launch but what's different is that other companies usually reply that "it would be launched soon". Here the reply is "never heard of it"!

Though Im anticipating a launch this month, lets see the pricing.

[MileCruncher]

Great to know that the THAR has finally reached the showrooms. I guess its time I go to the M&M ASC as part of my weekly schedule.

Also great to see that small things windscreen lever have been done. Waiting for the CRDe version.

[The Wolf]

Couple of more photos;









No skid plate!!! Hopefully its present in a 4x4.

[vinod_nookala]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

Isnt it amazing to see the urban warriors are singing rural songs in full volume. Kudos to Mahindra, these guys are the only folks that seem to have any heart for mindless demands we blokes make

This attitude will take Mahindra folks a long way due to pure fan follow, almost cult like!

I LOVE THE THAR!!!

Yes Wolf...rightly said. The cult is in the making, but not with out you guys!!

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Atleast this will be better off in water wading once it comes with a 4x4 tranny But BSIII!! So will have to find an alternate address to buy one!!!

But very honestly Thar name dragged into this one was a VERY BAD IDEA! There goes the branding exercise for a royal toss!!!

JAGGU- Since iam at the marketing end of it, initially even i had apprehension of calling a CL550 Major replacement a THAR. Thought would de-value the premiumness of the brand which was built abroad. But if you see these two vehicles closely, they have one striking thing common- Looks!! How could we have two names for similar looking vehicles?? Though similarities end here, for a normal road going guy he wouldnt be able to make a difference. Then why confuse him with two names?- this wouldnt have benefited any brand. Today you still are talking about THAR and not about MM550 MDI TC 4wd. Got what iam saying? :-)

Originally Posted by Samurai

Vinod, I think it is time to change this page: Mahindra Corporate

Finally there is a new Jeep with doors and solid axle. How loud is the MDi engine when compared to the CRDe engine? What is the power/torque figure of the MDi engine?

Mahindra corporate page is already due for a change and work is on.
No mincing words here. DI engine is loud compared to CRDe. But not as loud as the engines we are used to hear. CRDe is a Chocolate...very smooth.

Power difference is CRDe- 105 bhp@ 3800 rpm VS 63 BHP @ 3200 rpm of Di and 19 kgm VS 25 kgm between 1800 to 2000 rpm of CRDe. Very important- axle ratio of DI is 3.73 and CRDe is 4.3. CRDe is a power horse!!

Originally Posted by pjbiju

By when will the final pricing of Thar Di will be known? If it is only BSIII, then there is no way people living in the bigger cities can buy them, right? Or is this BSIV compliant?

THAR CRDe is BS iv compliant. Di is only BS III compliant. Final correct pricing will be known post official launch.

[gsferrari]

Originally Posted by vinod_nookala

THAR CRDe is BS iv compliant. Di is only BS III compliant. Final correct pricing will be known post official launch.

So essentially you only want us to buy the Thar

Not sure how I can buy the MDi and register it in Thane/Mumbai/Pune or any city that has transitioned to BS4.

So I am stuck with IFS whether I like it or not

[Samurai]

I do have a rural address, so I seem to be having a choice here. But, HT and AC issues remain. Can we easily add AC to MDi version?

[pjbiju]

Originally Posted by vinod_nookala

...
Mahindra corporate page is already due for a change and work is on.
...

Yes please. This is long due. The current page is too much out of sync with today's internet era in terms of design and content.

... THAR CRDe is BS iv compliant. Di is only BS III compliant. Final correct pricing will be known post official launch.

Well, that means people who want to buy this (for NGCS, engine, RCBT steering, solid front axle etc.), cannot buy one. Unless of course you have another suprise - Thar CRDe with solid front axle.

Originally Posted by Samurai

I do have a rural address, so I seem to be having a choice here. ...

Samurai, it looks like you have a business opportunity here.

[vinod_nookala]

Originally Posted by gsferrari

So essentially you only want us to buy the Thar

Not sure how I can buy the MDi and register it in Thane/Mumbai/Pune or any city that has transitioned to BS4.

So I am stuck with IFS whether I like it or not

Guru,
Let IFS need not be your main criteria for purchase. If you are bothered seeing its performance off road then rest assured it did all what solid axle vehicles did and did it in style.

On road CRDe ride and handling is decidedly superior. As i said it earlier THAR DI is a workhorse. Solid axle leaf spring is a given here. CRDe is for the people like you looking for comfort and highway capability in reasonable comfort. Plus CRDe baby does wonders off road too!

Originally Posted by Samurai

I do have a rural address, so I seem to be having a choice here. But, HT and AC issues remain. Can we easily add AC to MDi version?

CRDe version A/c additon is easier due to integrated blower and Bolero instrument pannel. In DI it is possible but a touch difficuilt.

[Sabareesh]

Hi Vinod,

Will the Thar MDI be available in 4x4 version off the shelf or would it be offered only in 2WD ??

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by vinod_nookala

JAGGU- But if you see these two vehicles closely, they have one striking thing common- Looks!! How could we have two names for similar looking vehicles?? Though similarities end here, for a normal road going guy he wouldnt be able to make a difference. Then why confuse him with two names?- this wouldnt have benefited any brand. Today you still are talking about THAR and not about MM550 MDI TC 4wd. Got what iam saying? :-)

Call me stubborn but i would not have called it Thar! if not for this Thread! Period! If Esteem and Maruti 1000 could co-exist and clearly be differentiated by the market, i dont see any reason why MM550 and Thar remain separate!

Only reason i see, is to charge a premium for 550 saying its Thar and then expect another premium on Thar saying its Crde and yada yada!

As as potential buyer, rather ex-potential, i have got one more reason to think before i buy a Thar.

I dont want my cousin from Kerala come and make fun that i am running an estate vehicle. Mind you this is the exact situation which i faced years back (hence the post), BUT then ESTEEM name made a hell lot of difference in the way i felt good about my purchase and he also understood! it was like comparing an orangutan to apple

What i would have liked is to see MM550 in the current avatar and then Thar with a decent alloys, roll bar, trick diff's and a better interior. Since am expecting a premium price from M&M.

@Samurai: Anything is possible, question is you want to do it or not. For your family friendly offroader, this is a border line case. ie MM550.

[vinod_nookala]

Originally Posted by Sabareesh

Hi Vinod,

Will the Thar MDI be available in 4x4 version off the shelf or would it be offered only in 2WD ??

THAR DI will be offered in 4wd as an option. But CRDe will be made only in 4wd.

[ex670c]

Hi Jaggu,

This (Thar MDI/MM550MDI) is a marketing trick.

Of course the DI version will sell more than the CRDe, but when the sales figures are combined, the THAR will be declared a hot cake, and M&M will stand vindicated.

People abroad must be wondering why the THAR is not yet launched in INDIA.

But once it is launched it will be declared a runaway success, because of the MDI Version, which won't even get to see the Bologna Auto Show.

Isn't that the same way the Bolero is India's Largest Selling MUV, of course the Bolero VLX aka Storm benefits from such publicity.

Even Tempo Trax played with names when they branded their Premium 4WD Gurkha, do you know why?

So that they could claim in the international brochure that there are 60,000 Gurkhas serving in the Indian Army. Vehicle or Soldiers?

Its All in the name.

Regards,

Arka

PS - What is the MM550 with MDI3200TC/NGT520-4WD/57/53FFRA & 4.88:1 Diff-Ratio called in the Army?

What is the CJ3B called locally?

[AWD]

Originally Posted by vinod_nookala

CRDe ride and handling is decidedly superior. As i said it earlier THAR DI is a workhorse. Solid axle leaf spring is a given here. CRDe version A/c additon is easier due to integrated blower and Bolero instrument pannel. In DI it is possible but a touch difficuilt.

So, suspensions of both DI & CRDe are different? Does DI ride like the Gypsy or better?

Would A.C. be offered as a company fitment in any model of the THAR?

Finally any idea on launch dates of both DI & THAR!