[drjones]

Originally Posted by headers

Doc Jones, Cant believe you and the THAR combo. I'll be surprised if the front suspension hold up for 2 days with you.

But let me add, you WILL LOVE THE VEHICLE. Maybe we could ask M&M for some vehicle for our local challenges.

What say M&M?

I would also like to applaud Fazalaliadil and Deepak for being the unofficial brand ambassadors for the THAR.

Vikram,
About the suspension winding up in two days, are you praising my driving or teasing my driving skill ;-) ?????????

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Originally Posted by DKG

Listen up M&M !! the voices of reason

suggested pricing: Rs 6.35 lacs ex showroom for the Thar Classic 2.5 diesel crdi, 4x4, a/c, ps, and removeable hardtop.

I think you will have a winner at this price point. Make it a grand success.

PS: I have assumed that the incremental cost of a Xylo body over a 540 tub is 1.5 lacs, correct me if I got that wrong. If I am right then the Thar must be priced at 6.35 lacs for the std 4x4 with a/c, ps, and removeable hardtop.

other assumptions are:

4x4 basic package @ 75 k
a/c + hardtop @ 75 k
total Rs 1.35 lacs

Base 2wd Thar with 540 body and softop Rs 5 lacs ex showroom. Is someone listening? here is your low cost Thar

Give it the DI turbo and the leaf front end suspension and you have your ultra low cost Thar 2wd at Rs 4 lacs?

lauch the THAR as a basic 4WD with PS at and ex-showroom price of 6L and let there be:

removable hardtop
AC

at extra cost fitted at the dealer end!

[DKG]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

All standard Mahindra jeeps sell more in 2WD avatar, right? So why not the Thar?

Originally Posted by Samurai

The 4WD creates the reputation, 2WD brings in the money.

Exactly my thoughts too. I very strongly feel M&M shouldn't lose the opportunity to sell the Thar in numbers.

Look at the spin off :

If the Thar becomes a sales success more money will be assigned toward its future iterations. People like BD and spike will have a freer hand in their design.

Newer bodies, newer components, newer technologies adapted. Its all economics, isn't it, after all?

No one wants a great product if it doesn't sell in decent numbers and doesn't make money on its own to sustain future iterations of it, and above all gets discontinued because it bombed out in the market !!

The Thar must succeed as Scorpio and Bolero have for M&M. If that means the car mutates to newer forms to cater to a wider audience so be it. 2wd, low cost version to replace Major...why not?

In its commercial success lies an inherent promise for us all. A promise of a great VFM offroader today and one being developed always for the future.

India's 4x4 community needs that promise or assurance !

[svsantosh]

Originally Posted by arun1100

What about back seat comfort? Will THAR be comfortable for elderly people to sit at back?

Originally Posted by Samurai

It will come with side facing bench seats, it will be up to you to change it. But then, how will old people climb into Thar, it will effectively be a 2-door Jeep once the seats are changed to front facing.

Originally Posted by arun1100

This is the disappointing for people like me, who is not married and staying with parents. I would love to take them around in a Jeep as we had a Jeep a decade ago. Not sure if they will be comfortable in the rear bench seat. So IMO its cannot be called as a Family vehicle.

Arun & Sharat, I had a answer to these posts last week, but was waiting the fitting to show what can be done in a THAR. Also Ricky (IIRC, Pune) had got Innova last-row-seats in the rear... but they need to be folded-oneway for ingress, here it can be slightly easiler to get in&out...



http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ve...ml#post1888414

[Sutripta]

Does anyone know the front/ rear weight bias of the Thar? And of the 540/ 550?

Sutripta

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

My god man, you actually liked the "trappings" on what was shown @ the Auto Expo?

I didn't say anywhere that I liked it. A lot of people would like OE features like bull bars, good driving lamps, a good winch, good tyres etc. The execution of it is of course a matter of personal taste - my Scorpio doesn't sport even a bullbar, forget the rest. Mine was merely a suggestion, without any emphasis on what I would personally prefer - that is something to fill a 20-page thread with, but not now, thank you!

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

...people opting for the Thar ...VLX 4wd looks and drives entirely differently - perhaps like the Thar on display at the Auto Expo, lights, bull bar, winch, etc. and all the other trappings of the Scorpio VLX.

[nitrous]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Does anyone know the front/ rear weight bias of the Thar? And of the 540/ 550?

May I know why you're asking?
Overall weight does.
But,weight bias wouldn't matter as much in an offroader as it would in a performance/ race car.
The way I look at it, the CG keeps changing with inclines, declines, etc.
With inclines, the weight is on the rear wheels and with declines, the weight is on the front wheels.

Come to think of it, Variable power bias between the two axles like in the Nissan Skyline or WRC cars would do a lot of good.

[adzegeek]

Originally Posted by DKG

Listen up M&M !! the voices of reason

suggested pricing: Rs 6.35 lacs ex showroom for the Thar Classic 2.5 diesel crdi, 4x4, a/c, ps, and removeable hardtop.

I think you will have a winner at this price point. Make it a grand success.

DKG - at this price, I surely would put in the money as well for a 3rd vehicle - weekend drive which sort of emboldens me to take it beyond the trail-only drives which scorp 4wd allows.

How I wish they progress into a "Thar Unlimited" option with proper second row seats and more space at the back at the cost of SWB. Leave the 2wd option aside as it sort of spoils the heritage.

PS: Since the big boss agreed with your assessment on Thar test drive on Twitter - how about lobbying for this price with him directly on same channel as a consensus from Thar's target market?

[DKG]

Originally Posted by adzegeek

Since the big boss agreed with your assessment on Thar test drive on Twitter - how about lobbying for this price with him directly on same channel as a consensus from Thar's target market?

you noticed !!

If anything we recommend has the interests of M&M considered while addressing our requirement I don't see why M&M's management won't meet our expectations.

To that effect this wonderful forum has served a brilliant purpose.

You know honestly if this kind of participative development of a vehicle sees fruition and success commercially this whole exercise would prove to be one of the most potent communication channels between customers and a manufacturer.

So far so good

[Jaggu]

I still have my doubts if a 2 door 4x4 vehicle with PS, AC and a fiber hard top will sell in numbers if priced above 6-6.5 on the road pricing. Well that's just me

I seriously don't see any point in getting carried away with the price discussions coz am sure M&M ain't gonna do a Chevy when it comes to price game. It will look at a Honda strategy and its gonna be fun watching it unfold.

[headers]

Originally Posted by nitrous

But,weight bias wouldn't matter as much in an offroader as it would in a performance/ race car.
...
Come to think of it, Variable power bias between the two axles like in the Nissan Skyline or WRC cars would do a lot of good.

Nitrous, you are thinking Weight Bias does matter in an offroader too.

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I still have my doubts if a 2 door 4x4 vehicle with PS, AC and a fiber hard top will sell in numbers if priced above 6-6.5 on the road pricing. Well that's just me

Hey I thought you were impressed with the vehicle and was one of the prospective THAR buyers price irrespective ..

Ofcourse at 6L bracket DKG is suggesting I would imagine M&M is giving:

1. Better switchgear [read wiper switches]
2. Fog lamps,bull bar and winch as OE, infact a PTO winch is better.
3. GOOD AT tyres
4. Clear lens HL and TL
5. Comfortable seats with INERTIA reel seatbelts
6. 6.5J alloys

Apart from AC, PS, CL and removable HT.

A lakh more and i would want

1. Pneumatic suspension [adjustable from cabin]
2. F & R Diff locks operated from cabin
3. Optional crawl GB [factory fitted]

Cheers

[Manu Krishna]

To all the people who have driven/seen THAR. Ref to the pic, does the front wheels protrude outside the body line (coz of coil suspension) compared to the rear wheels which are just within. This doesn’t look good when we have alloy wheels on them as the (front and rear) wheels just don’t align to the body line. If “yes” why don’t they just lengthen the rear axles to align both? I have seen some Boleros with alloy wheels and they look pathetic when compared to Scorpios with alloy wheels.

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by Manu Krishna

To all the people who have driven/seen THAR. Ref to the pic, does the front wheels protrude outside the body line (coz of coil suspension) compared to the rear wheels which are just within. This doesn’t look good when we have alloy wheels on them as the (front and rear) wheels just don’t align to the body line. If “yes” why don’t they just lengthen the rear axles to align both? I have seen some Boleros with alloy wheels and they look pathetic when compared to Scorpios with alloy wheels.

Manu,
Yes, the front track is wider than the rear. Why? can be answered by the designing team.
Regards,

[zaks]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Manu,
Yes, the front track is wider than the rear. Why? can be answered by the designing team.
Regards,

Guess it gives it more stability when stuck or probably the different tracks of front and rear gives it lesser chance of it getting stuck in muck.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Yes, the front track is wider than the rear. Why? can be answered by the designing team.

That's to help steering and make the turning radius tighter. It was discussed extensively in the earlier thar thread.

See link to the specific post:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1685240-post484.html