[phkr19]

Originally Posted by justwheels

By any chance was the booking at Sireesh Auto Silk Board and the SA being one Mr. Ramkrishna?

...

Yes, the booking was done at Sireesh Auto, Silk Board.
The previous SA(who left) was Mr. Harsha and now the point of contact SA is Mr.Sandeep (team lead).

[UP!!!!]

While Mahindra has addressed "almost" all concerns in Thar 2020, it can still be modified to an extent according to one's taste and need.

So, if you believe it is no longer a "Thar" but a "Car", build a real "Thar" yourself.

Source: Bimbra 4x4 Facebook page

[gt_mustang]

can i ask how is the wind noise at various speeds?
at what speeds does it become unbearable.
being a hard top this is a major concern. i have seen this in the wrangler.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by UP!!!!

While Mahindra has addressed "almost" all concerns in Thar 2020, it can still be modified to an extent according to one's taste and need.

Are these bumpers street-legal? I'm sure these kind of modifications are violation of pedestrian safety norms, which force manufacturers to provide "soft" bumpers as OE.

[gunin]

I got an opportunity to drive my brother-in-law’s Thar LX Diesel Manual on 01.01.2021 for around 300 kms. I drove with four grown-ups including myself and three tiny kids and went for a small picnic. I have given a brief impression of the Thar in the following lines after being in the driver’s seat the entire day.

My daily drive is a Bolero Lx 4wd Di Turbo BS III with leaf springs front and back which has done around 80 k kms so far. So that is my benchmark/ base for my observations. My driving experience with modern diesel engines and modern cars is limited to occasionally driving my friends’ Hyundai I20 and the Ford Figo.

1.NVH

Almost like my friend’s I20. Smooth n no noise at all from the diesel engine. One can listen to music at low volumes which is not possible in my Bolero with the DI engine clatter. At speeds above 80 kmph, with windows up (AC on) a fair bit of wind noise is heard from somewhere near the windshield. With windows rolled down, it is surprisingly quiet.

2.Engine and drivability

Feels like a rocket compared to my Bolero. Power in every gear and so smooth. Overtaking is easy. Pulls clean from 60 kmph in 6th gear. I drove on only plain roads but felt the low end torque to be good enough. The Thar doesn't stutter at low speeds and high gears.

3. Body roll

Though powerful, the Thar felt nervous above 90 kmph on the Bogibil bridge road, Assam with its undulations. Side to side body roll is there and it much more than in the Bolero. The Bolero with its hard suspension and longer wheelbase is much better when it comes to body roll. I reached 110 kmph briefly but felt nervous. It was peaceful cruising at 80-90 kmph for me on the Dibrugarh bypass towards Lahowal which is smoother than the Bogibil road. I swerved at around 60 kmph to avoid a pothole and it was scary. Bolero handles such swerves better.

4. Steering

I was immediately at home with the steering. Compared to Bolero steering which needs constant corrections while driving and has play, the Thar's felt excellent. At highway speeds I felt it to be heavy in a good way.

5. Brakes

Way better than my Bolero. It is sharp and predictable.

6. Comfort

I get tired in my Bolero driving long distances because of its hard suspension. The Thar is way better than my Bolero which jumps around like a wild horse with a strong whiplash. Passengers in rear seat were comfortable too. Speed breakers near Bogibil toll gate were tackled with ease. Passengers felt insulated from the shocks of the road.

7. Off road

We went to Jiadhal Mukh, Dhemaji for a small family outing. Entering the sandy river bank, I was thrilled when the Thar needed 4H to climb a tricky mud incline. Engaging 4H is a smooth process with the 4wd lever located within reach. On the Bolero, I have to bend down to reach for the 4wd lever located below the dashboard. On the mud incline the Thar just rumbled up without a hint of slippage. The Bolero is comfortable on such terrains too. I didn't get chance to engage 4L. We went up a grassy slope to reach the top of a small hillock, again there was no slippage. Felt nice to see other cars parked below while the Thar was perched alone high looking down.

8.Road presence

All will give way to Thar. The attention it gets is sometimes too much.

9. Build quality

I listened for any squeaks or rattles while driving and I was happy as there were none. To my untrained eye, everything looks well built. We were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the Bogibil road while returning. When the traffic cleared, I had just reached 40 kmph when a Santro (new gen) rear ended the Thar with a loud noise. We were pretty shaken and went out to check out the damage. The Thar had minor dents on the rear bumper and some rear fender clips came out. There is some kind of collision bar behind the bumper cover which took most of the impact. The impact was quite forceful as the Santro’s bonnet was crumpled and didn’t look to be in driveable condition.

Conclusion

I am tempted to upgrade to the new Thar. The Thar feels like a mighty upgrade for someone like me who drives a old school 4wd as a daily drive. But then again, my Bolero is too dear to me with its bullet proof reliability and toughness. It is immune to adulterated diesel which is the norm in rural areas (my current base is in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh) which cannot be said about BS6 engines. If I do get the Thar, it will solve my issue of driving on fast highways (I am comfortable with cruising at 80 -100 kmph) comfortably while keeping just one car.

Sharing some pictures from the day:


Excited to start the new year My Bolero is a little bit anxious


Driving on smooth roads is a pleasure on the Thar


At Jiadhal Mukh, Dhemaji, Assam


Picnics will be special with the Thar




Other cars looking up to Thar with a touch of envy




A day well spent

[condor]

thanks for sharing the observations ! And some very nice pics

Originally Posted by gunin

I listened for any squeaks or rattles while driving and I was happy as there were none.

Squeaks and rattles would come up after a few years, or after a fair amount of driving on bad roads. A new vehicle isnt going to talk that language

Even my cousin's Tata 1512 LPT is smooth - and a modern cabin and console too. The squeaks/rattles will come in much later.

[indian21r]

Originally Posted by gunin

We went to Jiadhal Mukh, Dhemaji for a small family outing. Entering the sandy river bank, I was thrilled when the Thar needed 4H to climb a tricky mud incline. We went up a grassy slope to reach the top of a small hillock, again there was no slippage. Felt nice to see other cars parked below while the Thar was perched alone high looking down.

Now this is an image apt for THAR brochure.

[Jacko]

Great review and nice snaps. Thanks for sharing

I think the Thar niggles would be apparent within one year given how clumsily the hard top has been fixed on the body. Shows some cutting of corners by the company.

On a lighter note wished we also had the snap of the bashed up Hyundai i20 :-)) rgds

[WhiteKnight]

Thank you for the beautiful review. Not sure you mentionedabout the comfort for the family, how they felt. Beautiful photographs too

Originally Posted by gunin

Attachment 2102259
Other cars looking up to Thar with a touch of envy

Summarises why you need Thar

[gunin]

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Thank you for the beautiful review. Not sure you mentionedabout the comfort for the family, how they felt. Beautiful photographs too

Thank you . My wife who is used to travelling in the Bolero found the Thar comfortable. However, she also noticed the greater body roll in the Thar. Two points where the Thar didn't win her favour was the effort it takes to get in and off the rear seat and the fact that the rear glass panels cannot be opened. Overall, my sister and wife were happy in the rear seat. My toddler wanted to take the Thar home immediately and leave the Bolero at my sister's place .

[Sankar]

Saw two Thars on the road one black HT and another red HT with M&M official accessory wheel cladding, side beading et al. I was in awe with the looks when I first saw these on screen and print media; but now seeing them on the road amongst other vehicles my impressions are a bit dulled.

The original Thar definitely had more character* than the new 2020 Thar comparing each other stock to stock. While the front looks OK the bulbous rear waistline looked weird to me when I saw it in person.

The new model has improved on all aspects except the JEEP charm. I now see the loooong waiting period (Diesel AT HT) as a blessing in disguise for it gives enough time to re-asses the wants & needs once this new launch hype phase is over. I suspect the Thar will become the 4 wheeled equivalent of the UCE Bullet in 2 wheeled world.







* Character ≠ to size or butch looks. If that were the case then Bharat Benz tipper has more character than anything else on the roads.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by Sankar

I was in awe with the looks when I first saw these on screen and print media; but now seeing them on the road amongst other vehicles my impressions are a bit dulled

While looks are subjective, the new Thar definitely has more road presence than the previous generation Thar in stock form. I had the pleasure of viewing both of these vehicles being driven one behind the other, last weekend and let me tell you - the new Thar has MUCH better presence and looks MUCH more butch, compared to the older one. Now, does the old one has more "jeep-ness" to its looks, maybe. But when it comes to grabbing eye-balls, Mahindra has hit the bullseye with the new Thar's design and proportions, no two thoughts about it.

PS - in no way do I intend to dis-respect the older Thar. It holds it's own place in the hearts of jeepers, just like the Mahindra Classic, the CJ340, and other predecessors of the Thar 2.0.

[UP!!!!]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Are these bumpers street-legal? I'm sure these kind of modifications are violation of pedestrian safety norms, which force manufacturers to provide "soft" bumpers as OE.

I'm not expert but I don't think these will be street legal. It may meet safety norms if the bumper is made of same material as OEM bumper but it'll still not be street legal.

Off topic: IMHO, RTO should have more things to worry than modified vehicles but reality is different.

[Venkatesh]

Marathi music composer Avadhoot Gupte took delivery of his Mahindra Thar and planned to drive it from Mumbai to Bangkok in 2021







Link

[jkrishnakj]

When he says ‘Express Delivery’, I’m wondering what he means! The dealers in Bangalore are trying to fulfil the so called ‘VIP’ demands. I’m guessing that Mr Gupte got treated as a VIP. I actually asked my dealer as to what does it take for them to treat me as a VIP. He didn’t know what to answer.

I wish we just get rid of the so called VIP culture. Why would the hard working law abiding tax paying person get the ... Alright, I’m ranting.

M&M - please shut down the whole VIP express treatment process. Communicate a bit more with your customers who are waiting. Your ASM’s are invisible. They are MIA.