[pavanmadhini]

Originally Posted by Parm

SUV does not necessarily means a 4WD vehicle, but the opposite is true!

Apart from the Audi Quattro sedans, the new BMW 340i also has a 4 wheel drive but is far from being a SUV.

[devil_in_flesh]

I think the two door Thar is what should be the genesis of the ‘Thar brand’. I think the reason why Mahindra is presently overwhelmed with bookings is because of the ‘lifestyle vehicle’ appeal of the Thar. Aiming to make it more ‘utilitarian’ would probably bring in more numbers but exclusivity factor would be lost IMO. But then again it’s a business at the of the day and 19-20L Thar will definitely bring in the Moolah for the company.

[wrongturn]

This could be the only ICE car I might consider buying, as I'd shelved all my plans to upgrade my existing cars for next 5 years in favour of the EVs and COVID crisis made it an even more sensible decision. But the 5 door Thar is so tempting, unlike the two door varient it would be so much more versatile and practical, the looks won't age like till humanity exists, Mahindra is not cutting corners on the safety aspect so it would be atleast 4 star safety rated and would still look good parked in the garage 20 years from now.

[sach.sri]

In my view, the 5 door thar will have a lot many competitors, whereas the 3 door one shines due to its uniqueness

Also - IMHO - what makes Thar fun is its SWB and the lifestyle part of it (that and it is super easy on the eyes )
Might not be the case for the LWB version, though going by the fact that every video, every article talks about it not being practical - it might just do what GTO says - outsell the SWB version

[partishs]

I don't think 5 door thar will be a reality soon, because of following reasons.

1. M&M is already struggling to deliver 3 door Thar to existing buyers. Long waiting periods are already killing the vibe and causing high volumes of cancellations. Launching 5 door varient will kill the vibe of 3 door Thar.

2. 3 door Thar is already at a premium price point, and still lacks some very basic features. I own one, and frequently see my family and friends complaining on things like armrests, cupholders, cool glovebox, storage spaces, climate control AC etc. If 5 door is launched then it will be at a premium price of about 20-23 lakhs or maybe more. In this segment people have many other options to choose from and also it will very hard for M&M to incorporate so many features in this price point.

3. M&M has already teased XUV700, boasting lots of features. Thar 5 door will be in direct competition to this vehicle in price point segment and will not be able to compete only on the basis of 4*4 and Thar badge. People will vbe expecting lot more

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by partishs

If 5 door is launched then it will be at a premium price of about 20-23 lakhs or maybe more. In this segment people have many other options to choose from and also it will very hard for M&M to incorporate so many features in this price point.

For 22 lacs I will take a 5 seater SUV thats truly 4x4 and with the added comfort of being 4 star certified over any other fwd SUVs which rely on Traction control trickery to attempt any basic offroading..

[partishs]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

For 22 lacs I will take a 5 seater SUV thats truly 4x4 and with the added comfort of being 4 star certified over any other fwd SUVs which rely on Traction control trickery to attempt any basic offroading..

Agreed. But there are very less buyers like you and me!! Many buyers see overall package and features. Most of the buyers won't even use 4*4. So I don't think that at 23 lakhs Thar will sell at huge numbers

[petrol_power]

Originally Posted by partishs

Most of the buyers won't even use 4*4. So I don't think that at 23 lakhs Thar will sell at huge numbers

This is what many thought before the launch of 2 Door THAR. But see what wonders happened when the old THAR got civilized a bit. And there are still loads of people who are smitten by the looks, but refraining from purchase only due to lack of the 2 rear doors (and may be a better ride quality).

Around 5 years back, the Honda City with around 12 lacs used to be affordable for many middle class, especially working in IT field. Now we can see that same people easily can go up-to 20 ~22 lacs (Seltos/ Creta).

There are lot of Youtube videos popping up in the last 1-2 years showing Jeep Life/ Camping/ Over landing, etc across the globe (Including India) (Roam overlanding, Epic family Road Trip, Mari's life - just to name a few). Covid has helped in improving its appeal. And many people are ready to try it now. World is moving on, and the progress is M-U-C-H faster than how it used to progress some 20 years back.

The only reason which I can think about the low chance of 4 door THAR to roll out in 2021/22 is the current waiting periods of 2 door THAR (Upto1 year waiting period). And Mahindra is still not able to sort out that issue. And this may reduce the eagerness of Mahindra to carry out testing and finalization of the product in this year.

[theMAG]

The best option for family offroading; taking a leaf out of the Wrangler page is not a bad idea, Mahindra! Aesthetically, the 3-door will still outshine the 5-door, but this is good product consolidation

[CkmGowda]

5 door variant should be fairly easy. It's basically new Scorpio with new body shell (with Thar design language). Since, new Scorpio and Thar share same underpinnings including chassis, power trains and gearboxes, what is so hard to bring to sooner than later.

[partishs]

Originally Posted by petrol_power

This is what many thought before the launch of 2 Door THAR. But see what wonders happened when the old THAR got civilized a bit. And there are still loads of people who are smitten by the looks, but refraining from purchase only due to lack of the 2 rear doors (and may be a better ride quality).

Around 5 years back, the Honda City with around 12 lacs used to be affordable for many middle class, especially working in IT field. Now we can see that same people easily can go up-to 20 ~22 lacs (Seltos/ Creta).

There are lot of Youtube videos popping up in the last 1-2 years showing Jeep Life/ Camping/ Over landing, etc across the globe (Including India) (Roam overlanding, Epic family Road Trip, Mari's life - just to name a few). Covid has helped in improving its appeal. And many people are ready to try it now. World is moving on, and the progress is M-U-C-H faster than how it used to progress some 20 years back.

The only reason which I can think about the low chance of 4 door THAR to roll out in 2021/22 is the current waiting periods of 2 door THAR (Upto1 year waiting period). And Mahindra is still not able to sort out that issue. And this may reduce the eagerness of Mahindra to carry out testing and finalization of the product in this year.

Agreed!! New thar is an awesome vehicle, as said earlier I am one of the lucky few who got the delivery of Thar. When I saw it for 1st time on 15th August launch, I was awestruck. Booked on 11 October got on 25th Feb, and I am in total love with this machine. But the vehicle is having many limitations which make it not so good family car. This is the feedback which I receive from my family and friends. Many of my known people want to buy Thar, but have to change their mind due to practical limitations of family requirements. And many middle class people who actually want to own a 5 door thar wont be able to buy the 5 door version launched at 20 lakhs plus, including me. 3 Door Thar is a hit because it offered something which no other was offering and still was affordable to middle income group people like me. 20 lakhs plus 5 door will not be the case. I don't think thar will be able to offer what creta/seltos are offering. If we compare creta and Thar, they are in comparable price range, but Creta has tons of features, thar misses on some basic ones. Thats my observation after getting feedback from people, e.g my uncle has Innova crysta, he drove my Thar once and gave feedback that this car is missing lots of features like auto climate control, keyless entry etc. Similar feedback received from some other friends as well.

[fhdowntheline]

How can keyless entry or lack thereof be a deal breaker. Auto AC, I can accept to an extent.

[Ragul]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

For 22 lacs I will take a 5 seater SUV thats truly 4x4 and with the added comfort of being 4 star certified over any other fwd SUVs which rely on Traction control trickery to attempt any basic offroading..

Considering that Bolero 4wd was killed off it is likely that there may never be a 5 door 4wd version of the new “Thalero” hybrid, also to maintain exclusivity of the SWB Thar as a product line. An LWB 4wd version of Thar will simply be a knock-out punch for the current SWB modeL Me thinks the early adopters of the SWB Thar are going to feel cheated if the LWB version comes out with all the same features. Of course the extra cost is going make them realise it was not entirely a bad deal. A fully featured LWB version might find a good market in the richer S.E Asian markets that see a good demand for the more expensive trucks/SUVs/off-road vehicles like Isuzu DMax.

That said even a simple basic partial 4wd “Thalero” without Traction Control to keeps the costs low would find favour with lot of touring fans in the lifestyle segment, who just want the 4wd as an insurance to get out of sticky situations like overflowing nallahs and partial land slides etc on vacations in the Himalayas. I am actually surprised that Mahindra saw no demand for the 4wd Bolero even in North East and Himalayan village cargo and people transport scenarios... or maybe the commercial transport vehicles all come with a RWD and rear MLD that people find good enough to get out of sticky situations?

If the regular Bolero is killed off I guess that production Line could provide the capacity for the new LWB Thar.

[Axe77]

Does anyone have any insight into when might this be expected to launch? Cant wait to see how it translates in reality.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by Parm

Yes, i meant Monocoque construction, when i said single body & frame! Jeep Cherokee is one example of the same vs Wrangler. Correctly, XUV500 vs Scorpio is another example.

The new Scorpio will be body on frame not Monocoque. However it will be more luxurious than the current version.