[AdiSinghV12]

Introducing MY21 Thar AT Petrol in Napoli Black to the Team-BHP fam.

There are a greater number of Reviews and Youtube Videos of the New-Thar than probably the number of it that’s actually running on the road. That includes a very comprehensive one on this very forum so I’ll skip the obvious bits like less bootspace, and how small the glovebox is and just highlight my POV

PROS

- Beyond Expectation Refinement and Gearbox in this price range, the shifts are real-quick and it likes holding the revs a little longer than other cars in its segment making you never miss the right amount of power or rpm. I went ahead with AT after our very own GTO advised in favor of it and though I was paranoid because there was no TD available and, the fact that I had to part ways with my 2016 Creta AT a while back for how lethargic it was to drive and the rubber-band effect with the shifts the moment I took delivery and got the wheel, all my paranoia had turned into amazement with how this thing drove. Full marks here to Aisin Seiki. If gearbox were watch-brands, this would be a flagship Seiko that comes with those fancy dials if we say ZF is Omega & PDK is Patek.

- Unmatchable Road Presence with Great Dominating Seating Position, the Brute stance assures respect on the road with turning heads all around. The side windows have a wide area where you can rest your hands and it surely gives a great feeling to drive this thing around and has the right dimensions on the outside, not too bulky and cumbersome yet not too puny like the Jimny (in-fact IIRC from what I remember from my trips abroad this ‘seems’ bigger than the 3-Door Wrangler.

- Off-Road Capability with loads of tech like BLD, 4L, etc. yet easy to manage on the road. The infotainment system has a decent number of features that’d help you off-road. Though, a few cameras here and there are sorely missed, and addition would have done wonders.

- An infotainment system that did not make me miss any feature from iDrive or InControl – Be it off-road specific details, carplay, android auto or navigation the car has it all. Even displays the tyre pressures in real time and ever since I took delivery, I’m mocking my Mini SA of how advanced it feels in comparison to the iDrive I have got in the Mini lol

- Brute & Sturdy Built Quality add to that – Made in India with Pride. Luckily, the car came with well aligned parts and everything felt nice and in-place except a thing or two which I’ll mention below. Its a proper Jeep! Until I got it home I couldn't ever think about 'sitting on a rear bumper' of a car but this is well-built enough to take care of my 90 kgs without moving an inch and can surely take two people on it. A proper and working desi jugaad to compete with fold-out seats. Add to that, there's a foldable snack tray as well

- Proper 4-Seater with Acceptable Leg Room for Rear Passengers as well. Getting in aside, the rear is a happy place to be until you’re really not doing long touring, but I wouldn’t really complaint doing 200-300 kms on our newly developed expressways, say Delhi-Agra, Delhi-Lucknow.

CONS

- The AT Petrol Engine is THIRSTY, the chauffer who drove it down from Kolkata to Patna was amused that this has beat the other cars he has driven in terms of being thirsty and how Petrol-Pumps could be its second home. Called me twice to inform this until I put my phone on DND! Another thing about this Petrol engine that I observed that it gets hotter than any other cars I own, to such extent that I almost felt something’s wrong but there wasn’t anything off the place nor any kind of abnormality in driving

- Bumpy Ride Quality, its like riding a Bull. I wouldn’t call this a con till you have to do long distance, where the tired you starts saying to yourself that it was ‘wrong distance’

- No Dead Pedal is a big bummer, thank god you can easily retrofit it

- Plastic Hard Top quality is poor, it seems like a thin plastic sheet which isn’t too great when it comes to avoiding the windblast from entering the cabin, and not to forget it gets dirty real soon.

- Misalignment of a Few Parts & Paint Quality – Luckily unlike the majority of the Thars, mine had very few pcs misaligned and for the starters the bumper and grille gap were a bit uneven, there’s a small gap between grille and headlight. The DOORS just wont close properly until you thud it hard, the paint quality could have been better – a slight brush has got off the paint from the door edges which suggests a poor paintjob….and umm even on putting my mind on hunt to think of more cons in this vertical it can’t think of anything else for now

- Below Average Speakers – with all those innovative speaker placements, I wish M&M did a better job with speaker quality. They would be the first thing anyone would want to change along with more damping. The moment you increase the volume over 30% it starts breaking a sweat and you can feel the distortion.

- No Armrest in Front or Rear with fully exposed wheel well at the rear looks a little odd for an SUV that costs around 17L on the road.

[AdiSinghV12]

BOOKING

“Most people believe that the choices they make result from a rational analysis of available alternatives. However, emotions greatly influence and, in many cases, even determine our decisions” = as psychological lecture as it may sound there couldn’t be a better way to describe what made me add this new off-roader to my humble garage. When I booked the car a while back, I had never thought I’d be this excited to own a Mahindra and wasn’t even sure if I’ll go ahead with delivery and cancel it midway as I was thinking of saving the doughs for a couple of years and upgrade the Discovery Sport to something really nice. I had a mixed opinion when it was launched due to its grille and the Flat and Curved wheel-well / fenders triggered my OCD and I was like why would a car have different style of wheel-wells, I thought M&M has done it to avoid another lawsuit with FCA but but but the moment I went a little deeper into Jeep's history, be it Willys or M&M the desire to own a Jeep with these very characteristics (uneven wheel-well) shot up like anything, the Made in India with Pride badge, the looks with the new grille and almost everything else about this car, the machine & its history had triumphed all other emotions and thoughts and the Thar was booked in no time. Sharing with y'all an interesting article excerpt below which might seem interesting to many as it did to me.

(Quoting Jalopnik: Mahindra was one of the earliest—1947, remember—Jeep licensee, and has had agreements with every one of the many companies that have been stewards of the Jeep brand over history: Willys, Kaiser, American Motors, Renault, Chrysler, Daimler, the Cerberus group, and now Fiat. That’s insane.
It also means that technically, Mahindra has had the rights to the Jeep design for decades longer than the current owner, Fiat Chrysler, has.
The point of all this is to say, yes, Mahindra can damn well build a Jeep if they want to)

So, from non-surety of buying it to browsing several hours a day while waiting for it and planning its mods, this affair with Jeep seemed deep, and one that’d stay for times to come.

DEALERSHIP EXPERIENCE & DELIVERY

Once I fell in love with the Thar, the biggest challenge for which I needed Ice buckets to take the edge off was how fast I can get it. Despite based in Patna and the local dealer principal being a good-friend, he sounded a little helpless on being able to arrange the car in any other circumstances other than once allotted by M&M against my booking which would mean “40-44 weeks”. I started making calls to the other dealerships in cities with which I have any kind of connection with (office, relatives, close friends) and finally the one that gave me a ray of hope was a dealer in Kolkata. They mentioned that they keep getting vehicles from the open-pool and if the variant I’m looking for comes into it there’s a ‘chance’ I can get it sooner. After regular follow ups and requests I finally managed to get one allotted to myself! The first step towards owning my first Jeep, especially after having a love and hate relationship with a Ford GPW that I kept seeing since childhood being owned & maintained by a relative. Overall, I had a super smooth buying experience with no harassment for anything whatsoever. Yes, they wanted me to take insurance from them but promised me to match it closely to the best deal I was getting outside. Yes, they “requested” me to take accessories worth 25-30k which I was anyway going to take (Wheel Arch Cladding, Reverse Camera, Door Sill Protector, Door Side-Step, Snack Tray, Sunshade and a few more small parts). All in all, the Thar was booked over the phone with the general booking amount and a PO which included all the accessories and other details, and I wasn’t asked for any further payment till the car arrived to the stockyard in March. I decided to take a small loan on the vehicle owing to the interesting rate of interests popping up in my netbanking offers regularly which was further sweetened after speaking to the bank the process took a couple of days which had reached just 2 days prior to my delivery date, but as I was firm that I wanted the car on a Thursday they worked an extra bit and made sure that I got it delivered without any kind of inconvenience. Due to covid surge, and the delivery being done late it was a usual affair and I probably had to just spend 20 mins at the showroom signing a few documents before I drove off to a new journey with the All-New Thar.


THE HONEYMOON PERIOD AND DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

I have driven the car for about 1000 kms by now and got used to its style and tantrums and I must admit I’m mostly driving with probably 50% to 80% Throttle input all the time and boy its fun… The gearshifts in this amount of throttle input is near to perfect and it just pulls with no lag, no drama yet fast like a bulky go-kart. The default mode is 2WD which is RWD in case of Thar which I didn't know pre delivery and as amusing as it may sound the car is very tailhappy if you find the sweet spot of playing with the right amount of throttle + traction control off which is just a click away unlike premium cars where you have to hold it for a few seconds. Shift the gear lever to the left and this wonderful Jap gearbox will let you hold gears for as long as you want unlike many other cars which upshifts on your own and though there's not a great amount of top-end-rpm performance but this might be really beneficial off-road.

The NVH level is best in 2WD mode, super smooth and quiet but the moment you switch to 4H or 4L it does start getting audible and makes a different kind of sound which can hurt your OCD if you listen and feel your car deeply. My refinement-point mentioned in the pros above kinda goes for a toss when the car is delivering the power to all four wheels.

The steering...is satisfactory and no left or right pulling issues as reported earlier, and handling is as you'd expect from a car that almost has half a feet of ground clearance. Weighs well and though could have felt more solid it is pretty acceptable and getting used to doesn't take a long time. At the "maximum legal speed limit" in this country, the steering is still at its best, pretty solid and would get you out of most situations however probably because its a car that's "Made in India with pride", it starts showing its consciousness from all its bits be it steering or windblast if you exceed this by say another 25-30 km / hr.

The ride quality, well - the moment rough patches comes it starts seeming like riding a Bull, but even that itself is so different from the other cars I have that every mile covered was seeming like an amusement park ride….Fast, Bumpy yet Handles & Drives well & Stays firm…refer fun-vee and I don’t know if we would put this in the good or bad bit but you do feel the speed which adds to the adrenaline & joy. Now to stop this half a feet high go-kart the brakes does a decent job specially after run in period, it used to feel scary for a while but the moment there were a few hundred kms on the ODO it started bedding in and getting better and better.

Less than a week post delivery, the jynx that I have with the new cars heading back to the dealership what started with F30 continued when a friend took the car and a part of the plastic roof was hit in the second basement of the parking lot where he says he wasn’t confident to enter but the guards didn’t stop him so he couldn’t judge the height… Luckily no damage to any other metal part and no parts will be repaired but the entire roof will be changed which is ordered and costed around 1.5L from the dealership and while I thought it’d take time to reach I gotta appreciate M&Ms promptness, to my surprise I hear that it in a week’s time the new-roof is at the dealership so will take the trip to Kolkata sort it, though initially heartbreaking for a couple of days one gotta digest what has happened and move on so ultimately I did. I took it to office a couple of times and it to my colleagues it didn’t fail to ooze excitement any less than other new cars that I had taken in past. So that’s all folks for now, the car will be off to the workshop the coming weekend for its new roof and allow me to let the pics do the talking till then; assuring you to keep adding to it as and when I add miles and once the car is back from the workshop and once I carry out some mods as planned; Here’s a quick list before I sign off of what’s done and what are to follow;

Mods So Far;

- Audio Upgrade with Floor Damping (JL C2-650 Front, JL C1-650 on the Roof, MTX amp & shallow subwoofer. Not very impressed I think I'll change the woofer and the amplifer as they dont seem adequate for the speakers, vocals aren't crisps)
- Dead Pedal
- Auto Window Closer
- Sound Damping on the Doors
- Wheel Arch Cladding (OEM)
- Boot Snack Tray (OEM)
- Reverse Camera (OEM)
- Door Sill Protector (OEM)
- 20mm Front and Rear Spacers
- Sunshade (OEM)

Mods Planned:

- Audio Upgrade with Floor Damping
- Better Headlights
- Better Foglights (AES)
- BF Goodrich Tyres (285/60/18)
- Integrated Winch on the stock bumper (Something like BYC Jammu has done)
- JL Grille (Bimbra Spec)
- Roof Marker Lights (Lumiere Concept)
- Stage – 1 ECU Remapping (Once the ECU is cracked)
- Snorkel (Minimal)
- Wild Boar Grab Handles
- Upholstery Upgrade (Azad 4X4, Wrangler inspired)
- Deployable Side Steps
- Removable Front part of the HT (Fingers crossed)

And that’s about all….
Would be excited to hear from the wonderful TBHP fam till then, adios!









The Replaced Roof

and...Back in action

Followed by some straight out of the workshop audio upgrades

and that's him, back home with its other garagemates bidding adieu till the next time

[Pancham]

Originally Posted by AdiSinghV12

BOOKING
that's him, back home with its other garagemates bidding adieu till the next time[/i]
Attachment 2185618

Congrats Adi. Since you took delivery from Kolkata (West Bengal?) do you remember the ODO reading on the day of delivery? Was it in the range of 100-150Kms?

To all members who own the AT variant, I have a question.

While coming downhill on a steep slope (imagine a steep mountain road with loose gravel) does the Thar AT automatically hold lower gears (1st or 2nd) to provide engine braking? Or do we have to shift to manual and engage 1st gear ourselves?

[navpreet318]

Originally Posted by Pancham

......
To all members who own the AT variant, I have a question.

While coming downhill on a steep slope (imagine a steep mountain road with loose gravel) does the Thar AT automatically hold lower gears (1st or 2nd) to provide engine braking? Or do we have to shift to manual and engage 1st gear ourselves?

The thing holds the gears very well and coming downhill I haven't observed any problems.
If the hill is steep or you need to maintain a slower speed then the hill decent control is suggested. it works like a charm and maintains different speeds as well based on how fast we want the vehicle to go using our brakes and accelerator as inputs.

[Pancham]

Originally Posted by navpreet318

The thing holds the gears very well and coming downhill I haven't observed any problems.
If the hill is steep or you need to maintain a slower speed then the hill decent control is suggested. it works like a charm and maintains different speeds as well based on how fast we want the vehicle to go using our brakes and accelerator as inputs.

Thats good to know because I have been hearing owners suggesting a change to manual and holding the first gear. Hence the confusion.

[AdiSinghV12]

Originally Posted by Pancham

Congrats Adi. Since you took delivery from Kolkata (West Bengal?) do you remember the ODO reading on the day of delivery? Was it in the range of 100-150Kms?

To all members who own the AT variant, I have a question.

While coming downhill on a steep slope (imagine a steep mountain road with loose gravel) does the Thar AT automatically hold lower gears (1st or 2nd) to provide engine braking? Or do we have to shift to manual and engage 1st gear ourselves?

Thanks ODO reading was in 2 digit, I guess it was 70 or 80 and I took it from Royal Motors. Very interesting question on the downhill, I'll try and update you ASAP

[tsgoutham]

A question to those that have taken delivery: have you had the option of choosing your insurer or were you forced to purchase insurance from the dealership? My dealership's quote has a rather high amount for insurance compared to what I see on policybazaar for a similar 1+3 new car policy. Dealer is pretty stubborn denying any negotiation or option for me to choose my own insurance. Is this the way it is with all dealers?

[Pancham]

Originally Posted by tsgoutham

A question to those that have taken delivery: have you had the option of choosing your insurer or were you forced to purchase insurance from the dealership? My dealership's quote has a rather high amount for insurance compared to what I see on policybazaar for a similar 1+3 new car policy. Dealer is pretty stubborn denying any negotiation or option for me to choose my own insurance. Is this the way it is with all dealers?

It’s your choice. They CANNOT force you. Period. Ask them to show you any written document from Mahindra (not dealer) that mandates you to take insurance from them. They should fold.

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by AdiSinghV12

...
...

THE HONEYMOON PERIOD AND DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
...
...
...
The ride quality, well - the moment rough patches comes it starts seeming like riding a Bull, but even that itself is so different from the other cars I have that every mile covered was seeming like an amusement park ride….Fast, Bumpy yet Handles & Drives well & Stays firm…refer fun-vee and I don’t know if we would put this in the good or bad bit but you do feel the speed which adds to the adrenaline & joy.
...
...

Congrats, you've added the Stallion to your garage

This is so aptly put, describes the ride on the Thar so well!

Wishing you many more adventurous miles

Originally Posted by Pancham

... ... To all members who own the AT variant, I have a question. While coming downhill on a steep slope (imagine a steep mountain road with loose gravel) does the Thar AT automatically hold lower gears (1st or 2nd) to provide engine braking? Or do we have to shift to manual and engage 1st gear ourselves?

The Thar AT definitely hold gears very well when you're going down the ghats, like @Navpreet318 has said. I've only about tried hill descent control once, but don't use it regularly in my 1000+ driving across the Western Ghats - if I find out going to fast, moving to manual and down-shifting does it!

[tsgoutham]

Originally Posted by Pancham

It’s your choice. They CANNOT force you. Period. Ask them to show you any written document from Mahindra (not dealer) that mandates you to take insurance from them. They should fold.

Thanks Pancham. I found a thread specifically on this topic as well. I shall pursue. I am ok if 94k is the legit price of insurance but I don't want to get robbed. Around 45-47k is what I see on policybazaar, even with every add-on selected, at max IDV.

They just seem to be milking the demand on the vehicle. I can understand there's probably little to no room to negotiate on the vehicle price itself but insurance is another thing.

[Slipstream11]

Any one experienced the Hill Hold Control (HHC) yet? How does it kick-in?

[navpreet318]

Originally Posted by Slipstream11

Any one experienced the Hill Hold Control (HHC) yet? How does it kick-in?

Automatically. You don't have to do anything.
You're going up a steep climb, need to stop due to some highly intelligent person blocking the way. You stop. The blockage clears. You release the brake. Vehicle doesn't go back. You press the accelerate and move forward.

Couldn't have been simpler. Absolutely adore the car even more now. Such nifty useful gadgetry. Such a robust chassis. Q 4x4 system. A powerful engine. All at this wonderful price. That's a lot of car for the money!

[jkrishnakj]

The HHC is news to me. Didn’t realise that it was there and it kicks in automatically. I need to consciously check it when I hit the hills next time.

The hill descent control works very well. I had it deployed in almost 35-42 degree declines, filled with gravel and slush. It worked so well. I put the button on and just had to give steering input. First time was scary, thinking if I can rely on electronics. But subsequently it’s a breeze.

The cruise control also works very beautiful. This is my first car with a cruise control. Found it very useful on the Chittor-Tirupati stretch.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by Pancham

While coming downhill on a steep slope (imagine a steep mountain road with loose gravel) does the Thar AT automatically hold lower gears (1st or 2nd) to provide engine braking? Or do we have to shift to manual and engage 1st gear ourselves?

Hi, I have driven mountain roads lots of times in my Thar Diesel AT. The AT absolutely engages lower gears as speeds drop. Of course, if you came to a sudden bumpy section, you would naturally brake to slow down the car, but once you do that the vehicle drops a couple of gears immediately as expected. In fact, it is generally one gear lower at any speed on downhill runs compared to other ATs I have driven. So if you are doing downhill at say 50 kph, with no throttle and only based on gravity, one would expect the AT to be in 4th gear. There is no indication of which gear the AT is on (BTW, I think this is a major omission in an off-road vehicle, the other one being absence of an outside temperature indicator), so only way to find out is to slide left to manual mode. Then you see that the car is in D3!

This is no different behaviour than the normal nature of the Thar, to keep the engine boiling and at the start of the Turbo zone for instant power access at any speed. I actually found the lower gear selection to be a bit irritating when going downhill, as RPMs tend to be higher and the car noisier overall. While coasting down with your foot completely off the accelerator pedal, one wants to enjoy a smooth relaxing downhill cruise.

[justwheels]

So it's been 3300kms on the odo in 35 days. A south to north trip has taken the beast from the concrete jungle that is Bangalore to the foothills of the Himalayas that is my sweet town Dehradun. And every inch of the drive has been satisfying, blessed and exciting.
The beast has performed to the T and have had no issues at all.
Got the first customary service in Hyderabad, while on the road trip. Nothing to talk about, just a small clip issue on the dashboard (plate that holds the usb ports) which was solved immediately.
The beast has seen traffic, smooth tarmac of the south, broken patches on highways, small hills to the mighty himalayas and has always given a wide grin on my face.
The power is more than adequate, features are great, ride is good, gives a commanding view of the road and gets respected. It's an eye turner even when spotting a new Thar is no longer a chance anymore on the roads.
Yes, the beast has a softer suspension setup and undulations on the highway need you you to slow down for sure. Wind buffeting is high post 100kmph and you need to bump up the volume to enjoy the music. Best driven max at 120 kmph for stability on highways. Steering is slightly heavy compared to normal cars, but nothing that will tire you. Fuel efficiency is decent, mine is diesel AT and my average is hovering around 11 kmpl on tank fulls.
But all of the above are characteristics and not niggles or irritants so none have bothered me from enjoying the beast.
Ride on the mountains is awesome as it holds the gears perfectly and have not noticed any sudden gear changes yet. Infact sometimes it will hold a lower gear longer than you would want for efficiency perspective.

Took it for a 50 km breakfast ride on the mountains and it just brought me smiles all the way. Enjoy few pics below: