[Parm]

The success of 3 Door THAR has made Mahindra Team to put a 5 Door version on field trial.

Guys, please keep your EYES open for this test mule under disguise of a Bolero! HINT

[haisaikat]

I think M&M purposefully discontinued the 4x4 Bolero with the BS6 version to be able to sell the same at a higher premium under the Thar badge, may be with the mHawk 2.2 diesel engine with may be some jacked up numbers.

The Bolero for its affordability and ruggedness makes better sales numbers than the Thar owing to the commercial segment and rural sales.

[CliffHanger]

If this gets launched, I will be definitely considering it as my last diesel car before the world fully moves to EVs.

Mahindra, 400NM is what this car deserves, don't skimp on that and keep the price in check.

[VKumar]

Originally Posted by Parm

disguise of a Bolero! HINT

Something like how it was the Harrier under the clothes of Discovery, and initially VW used to test Vento under Ford like oval badges?

Engine and transmission must be probably a direct fit on the Bolero frame, hence they can conveniently use the Bolero bodyshell. Remember old Marshal, Armada, Armada Grand, Maxx, Bolero, Bolero XL etc. They were all the same ladder and same cab, but with a different bonnet design - so, a Thar 5 door can be easily tested in the guise of Bolero.

[Dry Ice]

Good news, but where will they position it? Overlapping the Thar 2 door at the lower end and possibly overlapping the next gen Scorpio on the higher end?

[humyum]

I will book this the day it comes if money permits by then. This will be a complete package with 5 doors and a big boot.

[motorworks]

Not sure about the success of the 5 door Thar, surely not as much as the 3 door version.

For one, the Thar is already expensive, the convertible and the Hard top versions start from 15 lakhs and go all the way up to 18 lakhs on road. So the 5 door version may have to then start at 16 L and end up going all the way to 19L.

Second, the novelty of the Thar is in its current form, a 5 door may not look as good, unless they once again take cues from how Wrangler have been handling their 5 door versions.

And lastly, do Thar owners really need a 5 door version? In most cases, I feel that the Thar is a second car or always one of two or more cars. So for this purpose the Thar 2 door is just fine. I dont know if the 5 door Thar can be that one all rounder for a family so much so that it can be used as the lone car.

Anyway, no harm in Mahindra launching it, I may be even wrong from the demand point of view.

[GTO]

A 5-door Thar has been in the works for a while, and am very glad to hear that its field trials are starting! As an owner of a vehicle with 2-doors, I can tell you that 2-door cars are best as the 2nd / 3rd / 4th car of the house, but not the 1st. Your parents will never be able to get on the backseat of the 2-door Thar; heck, even your friends & siblings will curse you. In India, 4 doors = TRIPLE the practicality.

There will certainly be some cannibalisation between the 2-door & 4-door Thars. In fact, I feel that if the 4-door was offered from the start, most current 2-door owners would've switched over. Even in USA - 2 door country - the 4-door Wrangler outsells the 2-door one. Still, between the two, I feel the Thar has the capability to be a consistent 4000 units / month car in the long term.

Wishlist for the 4-door = cushier ride quality as it will be more of a family vehicle, and a bigger boot for the same reason. Am concerned about the price because the 2-door top variant costs 17-lakhs on the road. Would a 4-door nudge 19 - 20 lakhs? Whoa. Mahindra is minting money, thanks to a concept originally started by our beloved Behram Dhabhar.

Originally Posted by haisaikat

I think M&M purposefully discontinued the 4x4 Bolero with the BS6 version to be able to sell the same at a higher premium under the Thar badge, may be with the mHawk 2.2 diesel engine with may be some jacked up numbers.

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Overlapping the Thar 2 door at the lower end and possibly overlapping the next gen Scorpio on the higher end?

Naah, there is a distinct difference between brand Bolero & brand Thar. Many Bolero customers might find the Thar too flashy. In rural India, brand Bolero is bigger than brand Thar. Also, Maruti has taught the entire industry two things:

- Cannibalisation within your own portfolio is no problem at all. In fact, it's a good thing.

- If you don't cannibalise your own offerings, someone else will gladly do it for you.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by GTO

Wishlist for the 4-door = cushier ride quality as it will be more of a family vehicle, and a bigger boot for the same reason. Am concerned about the price because the 2-door top variant costs 17-lakhs on the road. Would a 4-door nudge 19 - 20 lakhs?

Thanks for those helpful insights. I have many of the same wish lists. Better ride and a functional boot behind the second row.

Can you please elaborate a bit more on how you see the price spectrum operate across 2 door Thar (which tops out at 16.xx on road); 4 door Thar; All new Scorpio and XUV 7OO. Also how exactly would they try to differentiate between the Scorpio and 4 door Thar both in terms of characteristics and positioning as well as pricing?

If the 4 door Thar comes in soon enough at a sub 20L topped out on road price it may draw me back to put it on the shortlist when I think of the Creta / Alcatraz / Safari etc. as the second car at home. The heart will get some strong ammunition when it argues against the head.

[turbo]

Originally Posted by haisaikat

I think M&M purposefully discontinued the 4x4 Bolero with the BS6 version

4x4 Bolero has been discontinued for a long time now.

This, though, makes me apprehensive about the fact that there will be no Scorpio 4x4. Which is unfortunate, as whats the point of buying a ladder on frame chassis, if it doesnt have 4x4?

[Parm]

Originally Posted by VKumar

Something like how it was the Harrier under the clothes of Discovery, and initially VW used to test Vento under Ford like oval badges?

Engine and transmission must be probably a direct fit on the Bolero frame, hence they can conveniently use the Bolero bodyshell. Remember old Marshal, Armada, Armada Grand, Maxx, Bolero, Bolero XL etc. They were all the same ladder and same cab, but with a different bonnet design - so, a Thar 5 door can be easily tested in the guise of Bolero.

VKumar, well said! You are absolutely right when you talk about Marshal, Armada, A-Grand, Maxx, Bolero/XL etc.

The Bolero 4wd was discontinued for a reason as Rural India is happy with 4x2 Bolero.

Mahindra has all the parts in its Extra Large Bin of parts to play around and charge premium for the old wine in a new bottle and laugh all the way to the Bank!

Originally Posted by turbo

4x4 Bolero has been discontinued for a long time now.

This, though, makes me apprehensive about the fact that there will be no Scorpio 4x4. Which is unfortunate, as whats the point of buying a ladder on frame chassis, if it doesnt have 4x4?

New Generation Scorpio will go Single Body & Frame, and old school ladder frame will be done with!

Hence the only old school true blue 4WD would be THAR in its SWB and LWB versions.

Bolero will also remain an old school ladder frame but 4x2 only!

[Miel]

Originally Posted by Parm

The success of 3 Door THAR has made Mahindra Team to put a 5 Door version on field trial.

Guys, please keep your EYES open for this test mule under disguise of a Bolero! HINT

Seems like a shoulder-to-shoulder race to the finish line between the 5-door Thar and the 5-door Jimny!!!

By the way, how are we to recognize this Thar in Bolero's Clothing? The bigger wheels? That's not gonna help coz Boleros with oversized wheels are not rare. Maybe an un-Bolero like agility and speed will give it away. So keep your eyes peeled for a jacked-up Bolero shooting past you like an XUV500

[Parm]

Originally Posted by Miel

Seems like a shoulder-to-shoulder race to the finish line between the 5-door Thar and the 5-door Jimny!!!

By the way, how are we to recognize this Thar in Bolero's Clothing? The bigger wheels? That's not gonna help coz Boleros with oversized wheels are not rare. Maybe an un-Bolero like agility and speed will give it away. So keep your eyes peeled for a jacked-up Bolero shooting past you like an XUV500

Suzuki has to work harder than Mahindra on a 5 door Jimny!

Mahindra has all the parts it need in its XL Bin!

Game has already begun!

[girishglg]

This is wonderful news to know that the 5 door is now closer to the market launch . The question is whether it would be positioned as a lifestyle vehicle like the Jeep Wrangler 5 Door retaining the Thar design lines.

Or would it look more utilitarian as a Bolero. Would love it to be the former. In any case there is a compelling reason for it to be launched. And yes this is one vehicle to put my money in trading off my Ecosport. So bring it on boys at Mahindra.

[for_cars1]

Agreed that the current SWB/3-door version is the "real" go-anywhere offroader and also the better looking one compared to the LWB/5-door variant.
It is the real deal for off-roaders which the LWB will be able to match.

* However, the 5 door variant will be absolutely practical for those long drives with 4 to 5 occupants with luggage.
* The already wide stance and the long wheelbase will definitely contribute to better on-road manners with a more stable ride for sure.
* The above two points along with great offroading hardware will make it a hard to resist almost-go-anwhere and highly desirable vehicle. Our own local Wrangler or dare I say a wannabe hummer

The LWB/5-door definitely needs to come with additional power and torque to handle the additional weight.