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-   -   2015 Mahindra Thar Facelift : A Close Look (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/167995-2015-mahindra-thar-facelift-close-look.html)

The 2015 Mahindra Thar CRDe Facelift has been launched in India at a price of Rs. 8.25 lakhs (ex-Delhi).



NOTE: This Pictorial Report was taken live on the 8th of September, 2015.

Since the Mahindra Thar has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes made to the 2015 car. For easy reference, here are direct links to the complete Thar road-test:

Exterior Design & Build Quality

Interior design, space, practicality & features

ON-Road Performance

OFF-road Performance

The Smaller yet Significant Things

Other Pertinent Points

The Thar is the only "Jeep" on sale in India at the moment. It certainly is popular with the off-roading community. The only other proper offroad vehicle in the same price range is the Maruti Gypsy. On the open road, the Thar has an advantage over the Maruti when it comes to ride quality, handling and stability. Plus, the Thar runs on diesel, making it more economical to use than the Gypsy.

However, there were many sore points. The interiors, especially, were disappointing - poor quality materials and bad finish had some customers wondering why they paid 8 lakhs for this Jeep. Most entry level hatchbacks have better interiors than the Thar. Mahindra had to improve the product to justify the price.

They've attempted to do just that by giving the Thar some updates to the exteriors, better interiors and additional equipment in this 2015 facelift. Do note that it is only the more upmarket CRDe engined Thar that gets these updates; the MDI version remains unchanged.


Overall, the Thar retains the Jeep styling:




The Thar's length and height remain the same as before, but the width has increased by 16 mm to 1,726 mm. Ground clearance remains unaltered at 200 mm, while the approach angle is up from 40 degrees to 44 degrees! The departure angle, on the other hand, has reduced from 30 degrees to 27 degrees:


The gnarly Maxxis MT-764 Big Horn tyres shown here add a lot to the macho appeal of the Thar. Note = they are an aftermarket addition, and not part of the stock kit:




Clear lens headlamps replace the old units, and the now unobstructed front grille puts the a/c condenser and radiator in plain sight:


New plastic bumpers replace the rudimentary metal ones. They might look flimsy, but are actually fairly thick and solid:


Here, you can see where the bumper is bolted to the frame:


Bumper now sits much closer to the body than before:


The new wheel arch cladding is placed higher up, and houses the turn indicator:


The wheel arch doesn't meet the bumper at the front. The gap between the two is an eyesore:


Door handles get silver inserts:


New tubular side steps look smart. The area where you place your feet is flattened & grooved to prevent slipping:


Side step is attached via four bolts - two at the front and two at the back. Easily removable for hardcore offroaders:


The routing of the exhaust along & under the chassis:


A closer look at the rear wheel arch:


Lockable fuel lid is new. Notice the groove in the wheel arch to allow the flap to open fully:


Just like the front, the rear wheel arches don't meet the bumper, leaving an ugly gap:


The new bumpers give the Thar an "urban off-roader" look:


At the rear too, the gap between the bumper and body has reduced drastically:


The right side has the number plate mount:


The Thar gets a redesigned canopy, the rear end of which slopes forward (toward the top). The older canopy had a vertical rear edge, making it look more boxy:


The canopy has neat cutouts to make place for the spare wheel mount:


Velcro on the sides keep the canopy in place:


The canopy could have been better integrated though. It tends to flap about too much at speed, causing excessive & unwanted noise:


You need to lift the canvas to close the tailgate:


Refreshed Thar vs its predecessor (on the right):




Mahindra is now offering a hardtop - giving the Thar a dose of practicality:


A large number of customisation options are available from Mahindra Customisation. These include bumpers, winches, snorkels and more:

The Thar features a new beige and black dashboard with silver & chrome inserts. It has a much more upmarket look and better quality than the pre-facelift model. That said, it lacks the quality of similarly priced conventional cars. The beige areas are likely to get dirty, especially when you go offroading:


The new steering wheel has thumb contours and a gunmetal coloured spoke at the bottom which looks good, but feels hollow and cheap. The horn pad is not difficult to reach or press. The steering wheel is still a bit off-centre in relation to the pedals. The power assisted steering is light for a jeep. Speaking of the steering, it isn't keen to return to centre after a turn:


The instrument cluster has three dials with chrome bezels and thick red needles. The meters are much smaller than you'd expect though:


The needles do a clean sweep of the dials on start-up. There is a driver's seatbelt warning lamp as well:


This button can be used to toggle between the odometer and two trip-meters:


Basic MID shows the odometer, Trip A and Trip B. No DTE or average fuel efficiency:


Wiper and indicator stalks are much better than before. However, they still don't feel solidly built and have a flimsy action:


The improved design of the interior is evident. Finally, there's some space between the wiper stalk and dashboard:


Redesigned centre console looks smart. The panel with the large debossed 'THAR' lettering adds some character to the dashboard:


Circular air vents get silver bezels. Turning the bezel clockwise shuts the vent. The hazard lamp switch sits in between the two central vents:


The Thar is equipped with a windshield demister. There are three vents - one in the centre...


...and one on either side of the dash:


An air-conditioner with heater! Even on a hot day, the performance was good and I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Press the red heater button and hot air is blown out of the centre vents only (the side vents don't blow out hot air). The air-con made a strange whining sound after the Jeep was idling for a longish period (for our photoshoot):


Grab handle on the left has soft rubber and feels nice to hold. Notice the chrome insert:


Gear lever has a silver insert at the top and gets leather cladding. It's nice to operate. Much smoother than any of the earlier Mahindra Jeeps:


Handbrake lever now has a dotted texture:


With the handbrake pulled up and the gear lever in 2nd / 4th / R, there is only about one finger's space between the two. Just enough clearance to release the handbrake when the vehicle is parked in those gears:


Plastic housing around with two cup-holders:


The transfer case lever also gets a leather boot:


Two more cup-holders are located beside the transfer case lever. They are placed too far ahead, and below the dashboard, making them difficult to reach:


12V power outlet is useful in our smartphone era:


Equally useful cubby next to the power outlet:


Front seats are reasonably supportive. However, the rexine upholstery isn't breathable and makes you sweat easily. No height adjustment for the driver:


Mahindra has made an effort to improve the thigh support:


Seatbelts aren't height adjustable and are set a bit too low/wide. See the placement of the shoulder strap for S2!!! (5'10"). This can get irritating for taller drivers:


The seatbelt's rolling mechanism is now enclosed:


Headlight level adjuster - at level 0, the headlamps were blinding oncoming traffic. Had to move to level 4 to get the lights at an acceptable level:


Bonnet release was already functioning poorly. I needed someone to lift the bonnet up while I simultaneously pulled the lever!


The glovebox is now lockable and far better finished than in the outgoing model:


Too small though. Can accommodate just so much:


Beige door panels replace the black units of the pre-facelift model:


Design of the door levers hasn't changed, but the quality is better now:


The door handle gets a new design and feels better to hold:


Like the other fittings, the quality of the window winder has improved. The window up & down action is smooth, although the space between the winder & dashboard is limited. Those with even moderate-sized hands will find it difficult to roll the window without their fingers hitting the dashboard. Solution? Open the door and do your winding work!!!


Doors have a free-hinging open & closing action. This strap prevents the door from swinging out too far:


A sticker blatantly positioned on the driver's door provides information about recommended oils, coolant and tyre pressure:


Handy cabin lamp, though no automatic activation when the doors open:


B-Pillar is very thick, rear windows are too slim and the rear opening is narrow. As a result, all-round visibility is pathetic:


Canopy greatly restricts rearward visibility. Better to roll it up before offroading or, even better, take the canopy off!


Like the rest of the vehicle, the key remains old school:

A look at the rear space of the Thar, with the seats folded up. If you own a Thar, you'll be called for the airport runs:


And with the seats in place. This Jeep is officially a 6-seater. Taller occupants are sure to knock knees:


Front passenger's seatback gets a storage pocket:


Rear seats remain unchanged:


Before folding up the rear seats, be sure to slide the front seats forward:


A Velcro strap holds the seat in place. Protrusions from the underside of the seat can hurt you, so be careful:


No seatbelts for rear passengers. There are 4 straps hanging from the roof for passengers to hold on to:


Inside the cabin, metal parts of the roof frame are masked with soft padding & plastic:


The canopy zipper has pullers on the outside as well as inside; very convenient. It was smooth and easy to operate:


The soft-top canopy is strapped onto the frame with Velcro at 16 places:


3 more Velcro straps fasten the rear flap to the tailgate:


Need data about the canopy? You don't have to look too far:

Engine and mechanicals:

The 2,498 cc CRDe engine continues unchanged. It produces 105 BHP (@ 3800 rpm) and 247 Nm of torque (@ 1800-2000 rpm). The diesel is an all-rounder. It offers good driveability in the city and there is enough punch for highway cruising too:


The Thar CRDe now comes with a mechanically locking rear differential and auto-locking hubs, making it more competent off the road. With good tyres, the Thar's offroad competence is sufficient for 99% of the owners out there. For those who want more, there are plenty of after-market modifications available:


Braking remains a weak point. While the Thar's braking is better than the Jeeps we are used to, by modern standards & if you are upgrading from a conventional hatchback / sedan, the braking leaves a lot to be desired. The pedal is very spongy and the vehicle takes much longer to stop from speed than we would have liked.

Updated Thar launched by Mahindra.



Came across these news today:

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/m.../1/453381.html
http://www.carblogindia.com/mahindra...tures-details/

Highlights:

- Introduction of mechanical locking rear differential, which makes the Thar more competent off the road.
- The facelift is currently available only on the CRDe variant (105bhp and 247Nm of torque).
- New plastic cladding over the wheel arches.
- Brand new dash in beige tone which has slots for a 2 Din audio system.
- Centre console also gets built in air con vents with the controls positioned right below.
- Lockable glove-box.
- A windshield demister.
- 12v charging point.
- 2 Cup holders
- New instrument console.
- New gear-lever and steering wheel.
- New seats.

Price:

Ex Showroom Price

Chandigarh Rs 8.21 lakh
Pune Rs 8.04 lakh
New Delhi Rs 8.25 lakh
Bangalore Rs 8.29 lakh
Chennai Rs 8.32 lakh

Note: DI variant remains unchanged.

Pic credit: Carblogindia.com

In the market for a Mahindra Thar, and I'm happy with the pricing. An Eaton MLD costs about 25,000 rupees, and the wider fenders around 12,000 rupees. These changes alone would have cost me about 37,000 rupees to implement from the open market. Mahindra gives me this, and better interiors for 50,000 rupees. I don't really need flashy interiors but they do their bit to convince the family that the Thar is a decent jeep for everyday use. You get the 12V charging point, cup holders and the lockable glove box too. It's a fair deal IMHO. Not sure what the whole hue and cry is about pricing. Before launch, ex-showroom Nashik was 7.53 lakhs, now it is 8.03 lakhs. In Pune, the deal is even better. Before launch, 7.79 lakhs, now 8.04 lakhs.

Cheers,

Jay

Whilst the interior looks good, the exterior sucks. Why even fix something that wasn't broken? The front bumper doesn't do justice to this vehicle.

Firstly I love the tongue in cheek ad - "Sorry for messing with...."

Finally an Indian manufacturer that has a sense of humour.

Apart from that bumper which is like a sofa attached to the front of the jeep, I quite like everything else.

But I'm not going to get too excited till I TD the new Thar. As you can see from the Creta thread people are having major heart ache:Frustrati

Can anyone confirm if the off-centre steering has been corrected ?

Price CRDE exShw Bangalore.


Surprisingly, DI is available in Bangalore as well. That means its BS IV now.


Specifications:

If i remember correctly, it was done to meet some of the CMVR requirements.

Mod note: Please await mod approval to Edit the post. Thanks.

The new offering does not look bad on the whole.. The biggest drawback in the Thar earlier was crude interiors for a 8.5 Lakh Rs vehicle, but now with another 50k odd, it has been some what addressed.. The rest of the changes would anyways have been changed to after market in the old Thar too, so it remains the same.

Did anyone notice that there is a new colour on offer on the Thar??. It is Red Rage now instead of the earlier Toreador Red. And IMHO the beast looks sexy in the new colour. Expect to see a lot of Red Rage Thars on the streets soon, which would be my pick too. :thumbs up

Personally, changes didn't amuse me. The exterior changes are not to my taste. As discussed in this forum it is not getting m locker (eaton) but a lockable glove box :D

Mahindra looking ahead to Fiat's Jeep launch? The Thar was based on the Willys Jeep and according to this article they are finding the launch of the Jeep brand in India a "bit awkward". (The article is on Mahindra's North American R&D centre and future plans, and is worth a read.)