Q. Is the Thar 2.0 the most stunning vehicle ever from the Mahindra stable?
A. That was a rhetorical question!
It's gratifying to see that the Mahindra Thar continues to generate such passion among Team-BHPians! Having said that, while some of the criticism levelled against Thar 2.0 is justified, there is quite a bit that seems a little gratuitous. In that sense, it's déja vu all over again!
Let's wind the clock back a bit to the partisan debates that raged on this forum when Thar 1.0 was launched. I had tried to contextualise that particular war of words in a rather lengthy post dated 12 March 2015, from which I reproduce the following extract:
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Originally Posted by Hawkeye269 The story so far, for those who came in late, is that the Mahindra team solicited the opinions of Team BHPians during the design and development stage of the Thar, but (1) the ultimate product was not as "hard-core" as the serious off-roading community would have liked, and (2) the fit and finish, especially the interiors, was in line with earlier generation offerings of Indian automotive manufacturers (read fairly below par).
To its credit, the Thar team probably didn't have much of a choice and had to make compromises (designers, bean counters and marketing mavens inevitably clash when it comes to the launch of a new product - an example of this is choosing an IFS suspension over a solid axle for a better on road ride). Also, all the minimum regulatory standards were met (if only barely).
So our peaceful little community was forced to take sides and choose between those who felt short-changed (and lashed out against what they were being offered), and others who thought that something was better than nothing (and that the design team had done the best it could possibly do in the circumstances). |
That particular post also went on to compile the various improvements that I had culled out from seemingly infinite posts on various Thar-related threads over the years. Imagine my surprise when Behram Dhabhar himself - the man who is largely credited with the birthing of the Thar (not to mention the driving force behind MH-01-V-521, considered by many to be the Holy Grail of Thar 1.0) - responded as follows:
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Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM Dear Hawkeye269 - hello to you. First of all, I would like to thank you for your above post, where you have compiled what went into MH01V521. It is already helping many enthusiastic TeamBHPians out here. I also liked your typical british writing style with a good amount of flair, as it made for some good reading. I am indeed grateful!  .
...
Best regards,
Behram Dhabhar |
We would go on to correspond briefly, but I unfortunately never got to meet him in person for one reason or the other. I'll always regret that I couldn't follow up on his invitation:
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Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM Dear Hawkeye269 - thanks for your PM Shree, I am in "aamchi mumbai" on weekends. Do PM me your contact number, I will be delighted to meet you.
...
Yes, it is the most iconic vehicle of all time, customers like you have seen the value, I hope some good sense prevails and the vehicle is developed further in the correct direction, so the "iconicity" is not diluted in any way.
...
Let's meet!
Best regards,
Behram Dhabhar |
I have a strong feeling that BD is looking down on us with a broad smile, almost exactly four years after his passing... not only because of the way the Thar has evolved, but also at how some of us are up in arms at the manner in which the iconic Thar 1.0 design has been butchered by Mahindra. Change is hard to digest, and nostalgia for a past (or outgoing model) can sometimes be unduly overpowering.
Objectively speaking, and based on the limited information that is currently out there, there can be little doubt that 2.0 is a far better (and perhaps more capable) machine than 1.0 - both as a mud crawler as well as a mall crawler. Many of the objections raised are either ill-informed (e.g., ingress and egress to/from the back row is difficult) or simply not applicable to a SWB 4X4 (e.g., there isn't enough luggage space or that the rear wheel arches should have been reengineered to make way for a three-seater bench).
There is one fairly valid criticism, however... many have taken issue with the fact that 2.0 has been very strongly "inspired" by the Wrangler. Again, objectively speaking, it's difficult to refute that. While this argument may be weaker when it comes to the exterior shape (since both the Thar and the Wrangler share a common ancestor), there is no denying the other obvious influences.
While I have been critical of Chinese knock-offs in the past:
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Originally Posted by Hawkeye269 |
I also think FCA deserves a swift kick in the rear for the Wrangler Unlimited's absurdly high pricing:
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Originally Posted by Hawkeye269 I agree with Turbanator, manufacturing the Wrangler in India will only be viable if Jeep decides to make India its global hub for the RHD version. Such a move would actually make a lot of sense. Am guessing the largest RHD markets for the Wrangler are (in no particular order) Australia, southern and eastern Africa, Japan, parts of south-east Asia, the UK and India itself. We are eminently well positioned as a central manufacturing hub to service all these markets and cut transportation costs. Also, with Compass already being manufactured here, FCA already has proof of concept! Even so, pricing would depend entirely on the specs, with the Rubicon being probably way too expensive for a niche vehicle in India.
Having said that I’d love to see a more practically priced Wrangler in India, say in the ₹30-35 lakhs range. Admittedly, when I returned to the homeland back in 2015 after being in the U.S. for seven years, I had sticker shock and couldn’t stomach the 2x plus prices of cars in India. Even so, when the Wrangler was finally launched I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I’ve driven a JKU Sahara extensively while on vacation in Hawaii, and there’s no way the current asking price is anything short of ludicrous!! |
If Bolero 4.0 ends up looking like a four-door version of the Thar 2.0, I am hoping FCA will consider starting the manufacture of RHD Wrangler JLUs out of Pune.
As it stands, I'm more than happy to shell out 15 big ones for the Thar 2.0 (see
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4863004 (What is your ideal three car garage under ₹1,00,00,000 (1 Crore)?)).
I can stomach paying a little over twice that amount for a Wrangler, but more than four times? As they say in Toledo, "no way, José"!!!
So, on balance, I'm giving a big thumb's up to Ms. Ramkripa Ananthan and her team for giving us the Thar 2.0, and will have absolutely no hesitation in putting my money where my mouth is by booking a Thar 2.1 (after the initial niggles have been sorted). Also, as far as I'm concerned, the LX Petrol AT Convertible in Rocky Beige is a no-brainer.
(images are not of the convertible model and are used for representational purposes only)
I'm hoping that version 2.1 will include a dead pedal, narrower centre console (to reduce pressure on the left leg), remote fuel lid operation, reverse camera, dual glove compartments (e.g., à la Nissan Xterra / Frontier / Pathfinder), bigger touchscreen and keyless ignition.
As a throwback to the original Willy's MB, my modifications would include a seven-slatted grille, custom bumpers (front and rear) as well as custom flat fenders.