Note from Mod : The Thar's full test & review has been uploaded at this link. Thread closed. Please continue the discussion over on the review thread. Quote:
Originally Posted by GrayBerry Quote:
Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM My final comment - Fazalbhai has driven it. Fazalbhai, thanks for waiting patiently all these months, you may please give your comments now.
Best regards,
Behram Dhabhar MAHINDRA THAR - "GO ANYWHERE". |
Mr. Fazalbhai --- Can we know your comments?? If you have posted elsewhere, can you reply with the link please?
Thank you, |
Friends,
Communication with the Mahindra head office, and a final approval from Mr. Behram himself ( as his floor in the factory is out of bounds for all visitors at the Mahindra plant in Nasik) I was fortunate to be invited to test drive the THAR. On 18th April 09, on the dot of 12:30 pm I was at the gate of the plant, time of appointment with Mr. Behram (Parsi's are known to be very punctual and methodical) so I did not want to make a bad first impression.
Mr. Behram recevied me at the gate and took me in his 'Special Application Scorpio', first to his office where I was introduced to the proud team behind the THAR, all youngsters under 35 years... beaming with confidence and wearing a very confident smile. After coffee we all moved to the place where two gleaming THAR's were parked, one left hand drive and the other right hand drive.
I am omitting all the technicalities and just narrating my experience driving the THAR, here.
The neatly packed engine bay was enough to make me speechless, then the team of 6 including Mr. Behram and I moved on with the jeeps to the ramp to inspect the under carriage of both Jeeps. Had a first hand feel of the suspension, chassis, gearbox and engine, after which I was first given the right hand drive prototype on the oval test track,
did not know what to expect but expectations were very high. The vibration free engine was the first feel and engaging it in the 1st 2nd and 3rd was smooth as silk and the Jeep was accelerating menacingly ahead but with unimaginable control and within a minute I was doing +90kmph, then came the first left turn on the track as this was my first lap I slowed it down and took the turn and was surprised as the body roll was very very minimum (compared to 540/550's) due to the advanced suspension.
Mr. Behram had clearly instructed me not to comment until I test drive both left and right hand prototypes for about 2 hours.
All this while on-board were the 6 persons THAR team , who were I think initially nervous about my driving, with kind permission of Mr. Behram who was on the front passenger seat I was free to drive it as I wanted,,, took it at 100+ as by the time I wanted to go higher it was time for a left turn again, now gaining in confidence at the way it handled I took tight turns at about 80kmph and each time the way THAR controlled amazed me (we would have rolled out of control had it been a 540/550).
I was then asked to drive the left hand drive and comment if there is any difference apart from the driving position. What I first noticed was the left hand had faster acceleration and handled far better on tight turns.
Later I was told by Mr. Behram that the left hand drive THAR's ECU had been manipulated and also suspension was different from the other version.
On the straight part of the track both jeeps were taken up to +90kmph ( I had forewarned the on-board team that I would test the Brakes by jamming them at high speed so brace yourselves). When I hit the brakes as hard as I could for sudden braking, at this speed it came to a
dead halt between 12-15 feet. Further hit the brakes at tight turns too and experienced a never before control in a Jeep.
The last test I did was, driving in the tightest possible figure '8' at the highest speed I could. Here I did not notice the speedometer as I was thoroughly enjoying the very superior control, the new found turning radius, the screeching tyres and very in control body roll.
Two THAR's test driven on track, but a Jeep is supposed to be more of an off-road vehicle, Mr. Behram and I moved on to another location about 10 kilometers from the plant, where a black THAR was running on a "TORTURE TRACK" for months, a vehicle that runs on this track for a 1000 kilometers equates to about 50 000 on-road kilometers. It had all kind bumps, ditches, steep inclines, 2 feet deep water filled trough's and is used for torturing Mahindra commercial vehicles.
Now the legendary driver Mr. Behram was in the drivers seat as we took the black THAR out of this test area on to the open Trimbak highway, he was driving at +110 kmph for about 12 kilometers until we reached a mountainous area,
we took a left and at high speed drove upward to a very high incline (real time off-roading)
it was shocking to notice that the THAR was never engaged in the 4X4 mode all through. The sheer burst of power was enough to take you upwards over a 30 degree incline for more than a kilometer.
We headed back to the 'torture track' and Mr. Behram was driving at the same speed we came, his driving skill and the THAR complimented each other.
It is not easy to meet your expectations when they are already high, but for me the THAR proved this theory wrong.
The IFS suspesnsion doubts by many can be laid to rest should they see THAR on the 'torture track' and off-road, the 1700kg power to weight doubt will fade away should they drive the THAR on the road and off-road.
My conclusion was however or whatever we do to our 554/ 550's they will be no more than vintage or fossils in comparison to the THAR, its engine, suspension, ride quality and all.
Finally there is no parallel to a brand new jeep with a world class engine, new generation chassis, warranties, after sales service and finance options.
I have been maintaining all along without revealing my experience with the THAR that, when a Major sells at 4.8 lakhs, how can you expect a THAR to sell at 5-6 lakhs? The leap in technology is incomparable!
The THAR will change the complexion and standards of Indian off-roading is my conviction.
It was a pleasure meeting the man and the machine.
This post could not be shorter than it is, pardon me for that.
p.s. In 2006 I had been also invited for the test drive of the LEGEND and gave it a loud thumbs down. Regards,