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Old 13th May 2010, 14:27   #76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rajachu View Post
Since we are missisng a family+offroad vehicle now, hard top with Aircon is a basic requirment as a company fitment for Thar.

Raj
Yes i agree with Rajachu.

Its tempting me to sell off my Gypsy and buy Thar (With A/C).

Db sir are you listening?

Krishna
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Old 13th May 2010, 14:48   #77
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is the rear number plate and the front bumper bent?

the moment THARCAR crosses 7 big ones, i doubt it will find buyers for 'lifestyle vehicle'.

we have two fine examples of 'lifestyle' vehicles in Getaway and Tata Xenon!
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Thar she blows !!-skid20plate.jpg  

 
Old 13th May 2010, 15:00   #78
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See bumper will be the least of the issues, its already being said that to comply with pedestrian safety the metal has to be soft and in any 4x4 bumper is the first toll. Small sarjapur rd ditch itself is good enough to take out the rear bumper and tail lights from the gyspies.

Pricing will be the key factor, if it inches towards 9-10 i dont think there will be many takers, especially in this avatar.

Bare bone 4x4 version at 6-6.5 OTR price is fair enough, anything more and people will just do test drives and few nuts like us might actually pay up.

Bolero will sound better anyday for others (outdoor yuppies) i guess.
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Old 13th May 2010, 15:06   #79
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Originally Posted by adc View Post
5.5-6 ex-SHR max. And if comes with ABS, will pay for the extra premium price!

50k price the total of all these features? - "FRP top and AC, PW, CL etc."

For 8.5 nearabouts OTR will all that needed, numbers would be tough to maintain and most probably MM is not worried. I am not quite sure that MM marketing is really breaking out in sweat to make it affordable out here in India
LOL, i wanna fiery red THAR!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by adc View Post
Around 5.5 ex-SHR max.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaggu View Post
Bare bone 4x4 version at 6-6.5 OTR price is fair enough, anything more and people will just do test drives and few nuts like us might actually pay up.
@JAGGU SIR, dont you think you are raising the stakes ? 6 to 6.5 EX SHR is going to push it to atleast 7.xx on road. It should not cross 5.99 ONROAD if it needs to sell volumes..

Please note that an X defense MM550 NGCS customised with all goodies can be under 5L..so if THAR needs to compete with the market, then it needs to be priced appropriately.

Pushing it to 6.xx or 7.xx EX SHR is gambling with the idea!! This is purely my opinion.

Last edited by Jaggu : 13th May 2010 at 15:36. Reason: Back to back post, next time on am deleting! Thanks
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Old 13th May 2010, 15:20   #80
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@JAGGU SIR, dont you think you are raising the stakes ? 6 to 6.5 EX SHR is going to push it to atleast 7.xx on road. It should not cross 5.99 ONROAD if it needs to sell volumes..

Please note that an X defense MM550 NGCS customised with all goodies can be under 5L..so if THAR needs to compete with the market, then it needs to be priced appropriately.

Pushing it to 6.xx or 7.xx EX SHR is gambling with the idea!! This is purely my opinion.
how can you expect THARCAR to compete with 10 year old ex-army restored vehicles with refurbished engine?

there is no comparison, but i know what you mean when a 4WD offroad junkie has an x-army option under 5 lakhs, why would he go for a 7Lakh THARCAR?
 
Old 13th May 2010, 15:35   #81
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Areee! is it only me or are you confused about OTR price? OTR price is ON THE ROAD price and NOT off the road price. OTR price = ex showroom + tax + insurance + other charges!
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Old 13th May 2010, 15:36   #82
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DKG, good review, thanks and appreciate it.

Milecruncher, You could have invited me for a TD of THAR
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Old 13th May 2010, 15:45   #83
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Review, as expected!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaggu View Post
Bare bone 4x4 version at 6-6.5 OTR price is fair enough, anything more and people will just do test drives and few nuts like us might actually pay up.

This forum has already contributed more for increasing the resale value of a JEEP to a fancy price. I feel same thing is happening here with THAR now with this thread.

How about a factory fitted winch as complement with the THAR?
on serious note, it will improve the sales.
It will solve two issues:
1) Looks, as the winch will be a attraction for many if not the 540 body
2) It will be a solution to overcome its weakness off-road.
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Old 13th May 2010, 15:46   #84
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Quote:
Originally Posted by headers View Post
....It should not cross 5.99 ONROAD if it needs to sell volumes.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaggu View Post
Areee! is it only me or are you confused about OTR price? OTR price is ON THE ROAD price and NOT off the road price. OTR price = ex showroom + tax + insurance + other charges!
Jaggu - I think Headers is CLEAR on the Otr part, he is indirectly saying the Ex.Shwrm to be 5.25-5.50~ and the rest should make it a sub-6L vehicle... which is just above the Major range. Major is 5.5L OnTheRoad Kerala as of a few months back...

------edit------

Quote:
Originally Posted by star_aqua View Post
It will be a solution to overcome its weakness off-road.
thats below the belt

Last edited by svsantosh : 13th May 2010 at 16:05.
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Old 13th May 2010, 15:54   #85
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Common lets be realistic here! though i would blindly go and buy the vehicle if it was 5-5.25 Ex showroom price. The engine itself would have jacked up the cost to make it a very unachievable target. Remember apart from the tub and body cosmetics, most of the parts are newly engineered stuff, even though they might share the parts bin, any manufacturer would keep the margins high enough to make business sense for them.

ps: I like direct replies, very hard to decode hidden messages these days. Old age i guess

pps: MM550 completely rebuilt doesn't cost more than 4 lakhs. Unless one adds too many bling and imported parts.
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Old 13th May 2010, 16:06   #86
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I feel it could fall in any of the below price bands-
5.5L-6.25L = Sweet spot
6.25L-7L = OK spot
7L-8L = Tough spot
>8L = TD only and OR enthusiasts spot.
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Old 13th May 2010, 16:16   #87
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaggu View Post
pps: MM550 completely rebuilt doesn't cost more than 4 lakhs. Unless one adds too many bling and imported parts.
How much will the cost go up by when you plonk a brand new Scorpio Engine too?

Hope folks get what I am trying to say?
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Old 13th May 2010, 16:31   #88
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It's not the cost but the engineering that will be more troublesome with this implant. Take around 80k for used engine, new ones will definitely be in the range of 2L. But lets not digress here too much, i posted the cost factor of old 550 to say that its a very unfair comparison.

Thar is a year 20xx design vehicle with a 1980's shell and the comparisons should stop there. Whats underneath is quite different, which me along with others who saw the vehicle up-close at the annual OTR are aware off. I am still a big fan of old school jeeps (infact i own one lol) but love the gypsy also (had owned one). Similarly i love the idea and is excited that something more modern, reliable and very convenient to use is coming out in the market and that too with dealership service support.

We have to accept change and move on, no point in getting into rhetoric's and bashing up a product (esp without even trying it) just because we are so attached to the old school machines or felt cheated (wrt old thread).

Having said that, i also have my sets of apprehensions with this product, coz my intended use will be more of OTR specific. Finally all important mind over heart fact ie the cost of purchase!

EDIT: My dilemma: Was planning on an upgrade to swift next year. This am ready to put on hold and go for the Thar, please note that i don't want to sell the CJ3B. I don't have any wrong perception that Thar can replace the swift, when i look it from the family car angle. So price is gonna be a crucial factor coz though Thar will be "my" primary vehicle, it will not be my primary family vehicle. Am very confident that i can make the CJ3B quite reliable for my OTR usage also.

So then why Thar, there are many OTR event's that happen in far off places and then carting or driving the CJ3B becomes an irritant, not because its petrol but it will be a misfit on our 100+ kph highways. Again comfort factor will be very basic, which is ok for one off adventures, but not for every other OTR invites. This is where Thar will come in for me.

Last edited by Jaggu : 13th May 2010 at 16:40.
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Old 13th May 2010, 16:32   #89
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Comprehensive

Quote:
Originally Posted by DKG View Post
The Thar is first and foremost a very capable offroad machine. Just remove those doubts in your head about IFS. Its really a non issue. This car can do stuff which any of our Jeeps can do. And to my honest surprise it does some things in two wheel drive which may make the old Jeeps squirm a bit !! Yes I was pleasantly surprised. The reason being the traction the feet of the Thar enjoy is miles more superior to what the NDMS afford the Jeeps. Somehow the weight of this car and the wheels seem to have found the right mix. It simply has all the traction you desire.

Thanks to the impressive traction of the Thar at the wheel and the oodles of power on slight tap of the throttle you can literally dance across rocks like a nimble footed gazelle.

A lot of you were concerned about the Thar lifting a leg once too often on account of the IFS. No sir !! This car has long suspension travel and can put its feet down in ditches far more effortlessly and efficiently than you would expect it to.

Mind you the vehicle I drove didn't have lockable diffs. I would have known in a instant that the car was lifting its feet and being rendered immobile.

The articulation of the Thar is most impressive. For all practical application this car stock can do stuff which will put a smile on your face.

The Thar is not a cheap imitation of the Jeep Wrangler and a pretender. Its a serious offroad machine which can keep pace with any stock offroader sold anywhere. It may also surpass the performance of some, if not offroad it will leave them scrambling on road. I'll get to that later.

We tried a lot of seemingly tough obstacles. With minimal fuss the Thar overcame each challenge thrown its way.

I am actually a bit worried about something. The Thar is so good at setting aside your aprehensions about its ability offroad most of you will actually start attempting some really wild stuff with this machine. For two reasons and I'll get to that later

The engine has torque. No the engine actually has dammed a river of torque !! And its silent torque. Fuss free torque. You don't see plumes of diesel smoke shoot off the exhaust as you tackle a sharp incline. Simply dab the throttle and it rolls up (like cars rolls down)

Power, fabulous traction, impressive articulation. What more do I want from an offroader? Nothing. I can take this anywhere. The Thar can go anywhere. And hearts it will win.
Hi DKG & Fazal,

Thank You for the comprehensive report on the Thar.

I have a few questions?

1) What are the attributes which make this vehicle a great off-roader?

2) Do you think a JEEP will not be able to this terrain in 2WD?
2a) How do you think a MM540 with similar tyres perform on this terrain in 2WD?

3) wrt to IFS and the Rack & Pinion, with the MLD/Diff-Locks on the Rear-Axle what is the reliability of the Steering System.

4) The Front Wheels show hardly any travel, where as a small drop (1-1.5ft) Get the Rear Leaf Springs to Flex.

5) Can I interpret your drive report as the Thar is very Powerful and well-made; and has very good road manners compared to other JEEP/M&M Vehicles.

6) wrt to Off-Road Stability any pics or videos of Down Hill Left-Hand/Right Hand Descend (C-Turn/Split S) or Climb and Turn.

Regards,

Arka
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Old 13th May 2010, 16:40   #90
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A Bolero VLX lists at 6.71 ex showroom. At best a Bolero VLX 4x4 would cost 7.5 lacs ? Which means a Thar with a/c, ps and hardtop should be priced atleast 50k to 1 lac cheaper than a 4x4 VLX?

So ideally the Thar should be released at Bolero non 4x4 pricing but it should have a/c and hardtop. The non hardtop should be pegged at 6.5 with a/c and base Thar without a/c and hardtop should be 6.2 lacs ex showroom

Is this a fair assessment of how it should be priced?
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