[batish]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

It will be good is M&M and other manufacturers can put the DPF soot mass and DEF level in the MID for all Diesel vehicles - as long as this is more of less accurate, will soothe most of our apprehensions.

Man, I second this. M&M if you're reading this, please for heaven's sake update this retrospectively. Also, please consider adding an ambient temperature sensor. That feature should not have been omitted in the first place. It's kinda silly omitting a sensor for a vehicle which has been designed for all terrains.

[swunkjyn]

Originally Posted by Pancham

Thar’s DPF issues seem to go much beyond the usual natural causes of DPF failure. DPF itself is a pain but it seems Thar has a few quality issues as well (e.g., sensor issues) which is aggravating the whole issue. So while driving once in a while in the highway at 2k rpm might help, it will not guarantee that you won’t get DPF issues. The fear of getting stranded will always be lurking round the corner. For someone who relentlessly defended the diesel in the early stages (booked one too), I will never touch one with a 100ft pole. It’s petrol all the way for me no matter what the FE is.

That was one of the two reasons, why I went with Thar Petrol. Second reason was the Engine noise, Petrol is very silent and sometimes I have been ditched to think that the Engine is not running itself. I have heard lot of issues with the sensor in my circle with DPF and seems to go away if you run the car on Highway for 20 minutes to 25 minutes. Having an indicator on the Dashboard would be helpful to check how much DPF is full or empty.

I have driven it around 10000 Kms and 1st Servicing is also done. This is the mileage I got after driving for around 100 kms on highways. Speed was between 65 to 90 and for a while also used Cruise Control @ 77 kmph.

[DarkerThanBlack]

Has anybody tried 285/60 R18 Tyres on stock alloy wheels? Are they causing any problem while turning or offroading (I mean in full Compression + Full Turn)?
I am getting my Thar in the next few days, so I was thinking of switching to a new tyre size to give Thar better tyres and a better stance.

In 285/60 R18, I have these options:
- MAXXIS AT
- Roadcruza AT
- Wideway AT
- Yokohama Geolander (Very Expensive)

Thanks

[Pancham]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

Doesn't look too bright there either - the country will be switching to E20 blended petrol soon, and that will cause havoc there too

While it's true that there are DPF issues across manufacturers in altitudes, that is something we can adapt our driving style to - example, heavy vehicles had initial issues with clogged DPF, especially those that ply in altitudes. But 2 years later, you hear very little from that sector.

As long as the niggles are taken care of, and we drive at a lower gear than we do in plains, we should be fine. It will be good is M&M and other manufacturers can put the DPF soot mass and DEF level in the MID for all Diesel vehicles - as long as this is more of less accurate, will soothe most of our apprehensions.

Hi Phoenix

At some point we have to stop comparing the DPF with E20 issues. E20 is in the future - but due to DPF, we are getting stuck in the woods NOW. E20 is something that has not yet happened. Its a policy decision which might take into account some consideration for existing petrol owners - I dont know but that is in the future.

As I wrote earlier, the Thar got us stranded 'almost' in the middle of nowhere and cut short our trip. We got the light between Rangdum and Kargil which is quite far from civilization. I drove my Compass in fear from Kargil to Leh to Manali to Gurgaon anticipating that I will face the same issue too.

And adapting the driving style is easier said than done. Diesel engines are not meant to be revved - they are meant for relaxed driving especially in the mountains. This DPF issue defeats the whole purpose. I had to keep driving in 2nd and 3rd gear through the passes with the engine making a lot of noise through out the entire journey.

About Mahindra,

Well the car got fixed. But it wasnt an easy fix. First of all, it took a lot of effort to get the RSA to bring the car to Leh. Deep called GoDigit first and they quoted INR 25K to transport the car to Leh. Then we called Mahindra RSA - the lady said since Kargil workshop is closer you will HAVE to get it fixed at Kargil. Whereas, Kargil workshop clearly said they can only start the work on Monday (we were on Thursday) because all their technicians were on leave. I made a fresh call to the RSA and had to convince them to take the car to Leh where technicians were available. After a lot of back and forth, they sent the tow truck after almost 36 hours. We planned for this trip for 2 years, got our hard earned leaves approved and then got stranded and spent 5 days straight in a Mahindra workshop in Kargil and Leh. That does not sound right. Overall, the Leh technicians were good and got the car fixed.

Anyway, enough on the DPF issue. Deep and I have learnt the lesson the hard way. My Compass did not give me any issue but this issue will linger on every time I take my car to the hills. Sorry for the long post, the wounds are still fresh and people should know how serious the DPF issue is.

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by Pancham

...
Sorry for the long post, the wounds are still fresh and people should know how serious the DPF issue is.

I hear you, mate. So sorry you and @Slipstream11 had to go through this in spite of painfully planning it out.

I hope the trip didn't get curtailed to much - this is one of those things that you can never be prepared for!

[monkey_wrench]

Guys,

My trusted and beloved Ford Endevour 4x4 is now ten years old, and the great government of India in it's infinite wisdom now tells me that if they catch me on the road again, they'll seize the car (Delhi/NCR problems) and that's that.

So after a lot of soul searching, I've settled on a RED Thar LX Petrol AT Convertible Top. This will technically be my "second" car, which can go to places where my bimmer can't.

Why convertible top?
This was the biggest decision, but the childhood dream of driving a car without a roof was the selling point. For that one month in a year, or that drive in the mountains where it'll all be worth it!

Mahindra has a fairly long accessory list, of which it seems to me that the dark lord kit seems like a great place to start. Some of the "must-do" modifications for me are headlights, seats and interior lighting. ICE maybe later.

Questions:
1. Stock headlamps are terrible. Mahindra is offering LED headlamps (within the same housing) for 6k approx. I was thinking of swapping out the entire unit for a projector headlight (seen many Thars on road with LED DRLs etc.). Any suggestions on where can buy this from in Gurgaon/NCR and any inputs on how complicated this is?

2. Interior Lights - would definitely like to jazz things up with some interior light mods. Any suggestions?

3. Interior trims - Mahindra has a "copper interior trim" that looks nice in the brochure, but no idea how it looks in real life. Anyone have experience with this?

Any suggestions for trusted shops in and around Gurgaon to get all this done? Any and all suggestions welcome!

[batish]

Originally Posted by Pancham

Well the car got fixed. But it wasn't an easy fix. Overall, the Leh technicians were good and got the car fixed.

It's quite relieving that it got fixed. Gives some hope, but I have some questions.

1. How did they fix it?
2. Did they inform what could have been done in such a scenario?
3. Is this fix permanent, meaning is it drivable in high altitude areas?
4. Any chance this could repeat again?
5. Since it's quite common in Leh workshop. Does Mahindra have an idea about failure rate?

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by monkey_wrench

So after a lot of soul searching, I've settled on a RED Thar LX Petrol AT Convertible Top.

Congratulations on the new addition to your stable.
Extra points for RED.

Since you mention mountain drives, I could think of two things which I feel will be useful, as well as look sexy.

A Jerry Can


A shovel

[Vikbats]

Seems like there's no real fix. Not all Diesel Thars have this affliction. Seems selective. Drive on a lower gear, keep the air filter as clean as possible, keep a look out for any tell tale signs, Activate regeneration immediately when a loss of power is detected and hope for the best. The Mahindra guys have definitely taken this adventure bit up a notch. There should be a sensor showing adrenalin somewhere along with DPF clogging.

[swunkjyn]

Originally Posted by DarkerThanBlack

Has anybody tried 285/60 R18 Tyres on stock alloy wheels? Are they causing any problem while turning or offroading (I mean in full Compression + Full Turn)?
I am getting my Thar in the next few days, so I was thinking of switching to a new tyre size to give Thar better tyres and a better stance.

In 285/60 R18, I have these options:
- MAXXIS AT
- Roadcruza AT
- Wideway AT
- Yokohama Geolander (Very Expensive)

Thanks

I have the Stock Ceat CZAR's and they are noisy at higher speed or when you roll down the windows. My Friends have upgraded to the size you have shared and few have Maxxis AT980 and few have Roadcruza.

Now the stance changed with broader tyres and mileage did not dip that much but the steering became heavier at slow speeds or while parking. Ride quality - I did not notice much change and since the tyre had different grooves so it was a bit helpful in adding more grip. Rest is on you to decide.

I have had a Tyre puncture once as there was three inch nail inside the running tyre, so the stock tyre was heavy, I dont know how much heavier it will be with after market tyres.

PS : I have a Manual Petrol Thar with hardtop and have driven 10k kms since Feb 2022. I would stick with Stock tyres for another 35k to 40 kms and then think of changing. If you are into extreme offroading or the stock tyres wont help, then go for the upgrade.

[Vikbats]

Originally Posted by monkey_wrench

=============
Questions:
1. Stock headlamps are terrible. Mahindra is offering LED headlamps (within the same housing) for 6k approx. I was thinking of swapping out the entire unit for a projector headlight (seen many Thars on road with LED DRLs etc.). Any suggestions on where can buy this from in Gurgaon/NCR and any inputs on how complicated this is?

2. Interior Lights - would definitely like to jazz things up with some interior light mods. Any suggestions?

3. Interior trims - Mahindra has a "copper interior trim" that looks nice in the brochure, but no idea how it looks in real life. Anyone have experience with this?

Any suggestions for trusted shops in and around Gurgaon to get all this done? Any and all suggestions welcome!

Please don't get into the LED bulb swap. Best solution is upgrading to bulbs a brighter 55/60W setup (Osram or Philips) or a 90/100W swap.
Think about projector fogs. They are super bright without destroying oncoming traffic.
I got mine installed at Bimbra 4x4 (They use Genome Led Projectors) You could get IPH (Their 3 in one colour option is nice) or AZoom depending on your budget from a reputed dealer
Interior lighting Karol Bagh
Happy driving

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Vikbats

Please don't get into the LED bulb swap. Best solution is upgrading to bulbs a brighter 55/60W setup (Osram or Philips) or a 90/100W swap.

Honestly LED lights just look good but are absolutely useless in the driving rain, mist and fog. I have put Philips G Force extreme vision white halogen bulbs in the headlamps. This is a straight swap. 55W 12 V. Available on Amazon for Rs 1800 for a pair of bulbs. I did this last year sometime.

On the last Saturday I chose to switch out my OEM grill and fix the Wrangler JL lookalike grille from Bimbra. The OEM fog lamps which are mounted in the OEM bumper have been swapped out to a clean plug and play halogen solution costing about 7000 Rs. These lamps have three colours. White, warm white and yellow. And they are simply operated by switching the main headlamp and integrated fog lamp switch, on and off to change their colour. Today, I chose to invest in a pair of superb Hella 700FF Amber/ Yellow halogens as additional illumination as well as to enhance the tough Jeep look. These are mounted on a bolt on bracket from Bimbra. Absolutely no drilling and all. They have introduced a relay switch inside the bonnet and spliced the wires. And a small switch inside the cabin below the steering wheel switches these lights on and off.

In all honesty, this set up is more than sufficient for the kind of heavy driving rain, mist and fog that we often encounter here in the hill stations of South India, to which I am a very frequent visitor through the year. I have placed some pictures here of what I have done, for others to see and evaluate.

[navpreet318]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

.......

The OEM fog lamps which are mounted in the OEM bumper have been swapped out to a clean plug and play halogen solution costing about 7000 Rs. These lamps have three colours. White, warm white and yellow. And they are simply operated by switching the main headlamp and integrated fog lamp switch, on and off to change their colour. .......

Could you please share some details or a link for this halogen fog lamp setup. This seems a very good plug and play setup.

[AMG1]

'I found love, for the second time.
Though I met you a moment back, I feel I know you for eons.
You are Perfection. You are my Red Love. You are my Thar'

Intro:
I received her almost 2 months back and I am smitten! She's red, a convertible softop, drinks diesel, and sometimes upon mood likes to have Adblue (so I am told by her creators), and yes, she likes to change gears herself (an automatic)! She made me wait a lot to get to her (a typical diva- took months of persuasion with her creator) and by the time she seemed to be interested in me, her creators raised the prices by 63k! (Semiconductor issue means full seller's market these days)


Some background

• I got married last year. Both myself and my wife were WFH(Lucknow). A few months back, our work wanted us to relocate to Hyderabad (Return to Office). We felt a need for a vehicle and were convinced needed one that should suit us and our lifestyle
  
• Since it is only 2 of us, we wanted something compact, high GC, and fitting for 28-year-olds- hence the idea of a convertible
  
• It's my first car and I have been using my parents' cars- Elantra 1.8 petrol manual, City manual, and Zen for the past years. This Thar brings many firsts for family and me as far as the driving experience is concerned- SUV, first diesel, and first automatic car. We have been using a sedan/hatch all these years.
  
• Our work may require regular relocations, I wanted a BH number plate and had to go through a fair share of trouble to get one. I will document the ordeal later

Options considered in preference order: Thar, Venue Dct, Creta Dct, Kushaq 1.5 DSG, i20 Nline (Creta & Kushaq were really stretching my budget)- Car's delivery time was the most influencing factor as due to the chip crisis, most had long waiting period. Point to note: I wanted an SUV but i20 nline really tugged me so I considered it.

Initial 3000 km experience
Dealership procured a Thar from their partner dealer in a nearby town for faster delivery and I got my Thar with 315 KM in the odo.. The car was standing in the yard since march (It's a Feb 2022 manufacture, I verified using its VIN)

What I like about her

Convertible Soft top- An offroader ought to be topless!

• I am extremely delighted with the Thar. The Convertible top is something to be experienced! It transforms you into an instant celebrity with the locals, wind in hair feeling is just unbeatable.
• The soft top flapping noise can be noticed above 70 kmph but is not all intrusive and we actually like it. It gels well with the vibe of the Thar.
• Below 100 kmph that noise can easily be countered by raising the music/ ac fan level. I am a very sedate driver and have rarely gone beyond 120 kmph in any car, thus making the soft top noise a non-issue for me
• Takes me 10 mins max to put it up and 5 minutes to take roof down. However, it took me a great deal of practice. I have taken the roof off and back at least 10-12 times now.

Driving position

I especially like the commanding driving position along with quick acceleration. Almost everyone gives way on the road- making one feel quite important, but importantly trips become stress-free

Rear seat space

Yes! you all read right. Thar is actually spacious for 3 adults in rear seat. We have actually ditched our Elantra (maybe due to the novelty of new car)and all 5 of us adults travel together in Thar. I find legroom more than my Elantra in rear plus rear seat recline can be done at various extreme angles! Thigh support is severely lacking though in rear

Freedom by Autobox

• I can never go back to manual cars. Auto box has brought back love of driving in me. My wife and sister have now learned driving thanks to Thar's auto convenience and in past 1 month, they have not only got their learning license but also have graduated to reasonably good learning drivers.
• I find that the auto box took its own sweet time to adapt to driving style (1200km approx) and it generally holds gear instead of upshifting which is good for performance but bad for fuel economy

Off-Road Capability

Well, I haven't even ridden a cycle on rough terrain but my Thar makes me feel like I am a Dakar champ!

• Enough has been said about its off-road prowess so i'll keep it short- Its capabilities make me hunt bad roads and I make it a point to run over the roads that have been scaring me so much in past years in my Elantra- I never miss a chance to take my revenge with those roads
  
  Great after-sales
  
  I must add service centers have been very proactive in sorting out any issues I bring up plus they even waiver off charges sometimes- clearly they are not sitting with an attitude to flee the customers- top marks to them.
  
  What I dislike about her
  

She has a drinking problem

• Thar has done its 1st doctor visit (service), but I am facing big fuel economy issues. [b]I can never get over 10.2kmpl in city/B], which I feel is too low for a diesel.
• The car is only driven in the city with very less traffic conditions (Average speed of all trips show around 20kmph- slow city traffic to be blamed)
• I have calculated the economy 6 times with similarly poor results

Reliability issues- What's a Mahindra without electronic issues!

So, I was prepared for this one and as a personal rule- I will buy TATA/Mahindra products only when they are at least 1.5-2 years in the market.

• Thar always has some alignment issues
• Bluetooth never really connects easily and if it does its even faster to get disconnected on its own
• Touchscreen interface seems laggy (yes its waterproof but is laggy)
• Apple carplay gets disconnected often
• I got a Pump failure light right after service but they rectified it the next day saying its a false alarm
• Speedometer console goes blank on its own for a fraction of seconds in every trip

Sidenote: Trust only Team-Bhp reviews and Ownership reports! Also, I urge everyone to stop looking at cars with the same lenses, as like us, most cars are different from each other- Thar cant corner like an Elantra nor the Elantra glide over potholes and give an open-top experience like a Thar!
There are far too many keyboard/GoPro warriors with no intention/inclination/knowledge to get a vehicle whose review they give! Case in point the soft top noise, handling, or even the music system- I found Youtube reviews for them seriously misleading once I am experiencing the car. At one point in time, influenced by various influencer reviews, I was about to change my booking to hardtop (thank god I didn't). Purely my personal opinion, not to offend anyone.

I will be documenting my experience regularly as I drive more kilometers and get to know her more

Please bear as respecting privacy I have blurred faces.

Your's truly, smitten by her

[monkey_wrench]

Originally Posted by AMG1

'I found love, for the second time.
Though I met you a moment back, I feel I know you for eons.
You are Perfection. You are my Red Love. You are my Thar'

CONGRATS! What timing on your post - I have booked the exact same car (Red/Convertible Top/Automatic) with the only exception that I got the petrol because of the longer drivable lifespan in Delhi NCR. My delivery is in a few days, and I've been counting down the moments. I'm so glad to hear your review of the open top, because like you I've seen countless reviews (and not to mention, almost 9/10 Thars on the road are hard top) and a lot of people crib about the phat-phat flapping noise.

Congrats on the beast once again and thanks for the great review.