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-   -   Mahindra Thar : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/228360-mahindra-thar-official-review-91.html)

Cyrus Dhabhar, son of Behram Dhabhar, talks about his father's brainchild - the first gen Thar, and it's newer sibling -

https://youtu.be/mqgd2ijYO5A

You’re right. They aren’t able to deliver and they fall short in being able to communicate the right news to the customers in waiting.

My CPD was 18th Jan. And I don’t even know when they can deliver mine.

It’s sad that they aren’t able to leverage and ride on the hype that was created pre and post launch. I get a feeling that their Sales and Marketing guys must be a frowned lot to see their efforts going wasted, thanks to the mis-fortune in the supply chain side.

The sales folks are involved in the planning process. All of planning, sales and supply chain was involved in estimating demand. Plus the car manufacturers are smartly quoting semiconductors as a major issue due to which supply is delayed. That's actually not the entire story. These manufacturers cut their future orders due to covid and are now struggling.

What I've not understood is how did Mahindra not take a sense check on the interest levels? The Thar was announced on 15th of Aug. A basic consumer survey would've told them how to plan. They delivered the first vehicle in November and have been struggling since. This is not about demand outstripping supply. This is purely a planning failure and a bad launch.

Whatever you say, and despite all brickbats, it remains a fact that Mahindra has their hands full with Thar orders for the remainder of this year! This is what matters to bean-counters. Moreover, all the halabaloo around extended waiting period is only adding to the aura of the Thar, and garnering more bookings!!

When did you book ? Because from 18th Jan to now March is really a long extension. I booked mine on 9th Oct, and got a CPD of 27th March first and that got extended to 12th April. Obviously I don't know if they will honour that also, but that's what the ASM gave me last week.

So either your dealer gave you a super aggressive date that could not be honoured with all the semiconductor shortage drama, or he gave your Thar to someone else. I suggest you make some noise on twitter tagging the biggies to get some traction, if not done already.

You’re right Cool_Dube. If not for the Thar, I would have walked away long back and never returned.

Just Wheels : Booked mine on 4th October. Date or 18th Jan was reasonable then. On 16th Feb, I was told that the allocation had happened and verbally, I also got the chassis number. And I think it’s awaiting infotainment for more than 5 weeks now. I can’t wait to see if they till deliver the same number that they conveyed on 16th feb.

Old Latch Pics below -








New Latch Pics below-





The only visible difference are the 3 ribs on the interior of the old one compared to the 2 ribs on the new one! Other than that, the new ones seem to be a bit more sturdy and felt a bit heavier than the old one when they were opened during installation.

Mahindra Thar soft top variant with side facing rear seats and Jeep like 7 slat grille spotted testing. Is Mahindra testing any new components for Thar?





Source

I have driven Maruti Wagon-R for a long time. And then upgraded to Mahindra XUV. Almost after driving it passionately for over 100,000 km, I bought Mahindra Thar. This is in fact the first time that I am so inspired to write a review about my rides.

I booked the Thar LX CT edition on October 16, 2020. After a long wait, I took the delivery on 27 Feb 2021 from VVC Motors, Kothaguda, Hyderabad. My Sales Rep (Vijay) has been updating me from time to time about the delays and expected date of delivery. I have negotiated well with the dealer and got a good price! I am happy that Vijay did not push me hard on accessories and allowed room for negotiation on the insurance, etc. Overall, I had a pleasant experience.

My family was super happy. Especially they were excited about the convertible option and enjoyed the open-jeep experience. It was a bit difficult for my mom to get-in/get-out, especially the second row. She was very comfortable in the front row.



Accessories (done at Xenex, Madhapur & the dealer - VVC Motors):
* Steering wheel Cover
* Skid plate - Bimbra
* Dead pedal - Bimbra
* Leg padding - Bimbra (both for driver and passenger)
* Front (one) and back (two) armrests - Bimbra
* Seat Covers
* 7D Floor Mats
* Front and back mud flaps @ VVC
* SS Door Sill Protector @ VVC
* Rearview camera @ VVC
* Rain-visors @ VVC



The real fun came when I took it to Chikmagalur coffee plantations over the weekend. I was a little concerned about various niggles mentioned on various threads here. The SA recommended going on a long trip, preferably after the first service, which is 1000km. I couldn’t wait till then to take it for a spin - this new toy was too much fun to wait for that long. So, I dared to take it for the 1600 km round-trip adventure.

Started on Friday at 4.30 am from Hyderabad along with my colleague. Reached our homestay near Chikmagalur around 5.30 pm. The total drive time was roughly 11 hrs since we did not want to cross 100 KMPH. Google Maps routed us through some random roads, away from the high-ways, at times. For the first time, I was happy about it. These roads tested Thar’s suspension and ride quality. I was impressed with the way it handled the rough roads.

We had too much fun at the resort. We were a group of 9 colleagues and they were all very excited to see my new ride. Although it may not appear like the brightest idea now, my decision to take all my colleagues at once, on a fun-ride into the forest rough roads, was one of the best experiences for all of us. All my colleagues stood up in three rows (on the second-row seat, on the second-row floor, and the first row). Of course, it wasn’t the most comfortable accommodation since everyone was crammed into the little space available, but the ride quality was excellent and it was extremely easy for me to drive. We all had a wonderful time.

The next morning we went for long-drives into the forest, of course, only 4 people this time in the Thar. Looking at my friends’ excitement, I just couldn’t stop myself from giving up my driving pleasure and offering them the driver’s seat. Oh, boy! What a joy to see their face while they were driving!! They thoroughly enjoyed and were greatly surprised at how easy it was to manoeuvre the ride. In fact, one of them told me that she was thinking of booking a Thar and this trip has definitely made her seriously think about it.

The next day, we started back to Hyderabad at 9.30 am and reached home at 1 am. We stopped by at the backwaters of the Bhadravati river in the forest and took the 4x4 for a spin there. I tried the 4H and 4L modes on the muddy banks of the river. That was the first time ever I tried going ‘real’ off-road. The vehicle got stuck because I was turning the wheels and my friend suggested keeping them straight. And I could get it out in no time. Although I wanted to try it in the river, my friend strongly suggested against it since we did not know the terrain and there was no one around to help. Looking back, I think I did the right thing by listening to him.



We took longer routes (Chitradurga-Bellary-Kurnool) instead of a straightforward one (Shimoga-Anantapur). The roads we took were BAD! We couldn’t cover over 30-40 kmph for several hours. But I was happy because those roads put Thar to the full test. Again, I was very impressed with the way Thar handled these roads. Very smooth.



What I liked the most:
* The steering was light and easy
* Controls felt natural to me (perhaps since I was coming from XUV)
* Ride quality was superb, not only in the forest but also on the highway (I felt it was better than my XUV at times)
* Automatic drive mode is excellent
* The water pressure to clean the windshield is very good (double/triple the pressure I have seen in XUV)
* Road visibility was good
* Brakes are excellent. There were several speed-breakers that turned up on the village roads and I could bring to complete zero in a very short distance
* No niggles experienced during the entire trip
* Overall driving experience was better, smoother, and easier than my XUV
* Head turner - especially in the remote areas when you are going in open-top
* Good road presence and grip at top speeds
* Acres of space in the first row - especially the passenger seat.
* I loved the audio system and the speakers' placement on the top. Good bass, when you set it up right in the settings.
* Powerful AC. Even on a scorching afternoon, we could manage with the AC control in the first level.
* Dashboard is simple and elegant. The ODO has many screens and options
* I could fit 9 adults, all standing in the open-top mode!! The ride was brief in the forest area, including light off-roading, but full of excitement and fun!!



What could have been better:
* The soft top makes a rain-on-the-shed kind of noise when you cross 80 KMPH on a highway. I did not feel it’s a big issue because after the first hour or so, my mind canceled that noise. Moreover, if I played music at high volume, this noise couldn’t be heard.
* Luggage space: We could fit two cabin suitcases, my camera bag, and a few other bags in the boot, which was good to start with for two passengers. But if there are more, people should pack tight.
* No grab handle. Makes it a little difficult for the passengers to get-in.
* Under thigh support for the driver could be better


What’s not good:
* Fitting of the top cover. The zips were not of great quality. The back stitching was torn in just a few uses. It takes practice to both remove and fix the convertible top. Could be engineered better.
* OVRMs have to be manually closed. That’s not ideal - it should be automatic.
* No fuel lid opener from inside
* Android Auto has many problems and patchy. For example, I was streaming music and answered a call. After I end the call, the control goes back to the radio instead of android auto and streaming music. The connection was also not smooth. Definitely needs improvement.
* Glove box is extremely small! No storage space at all.
* The skid plate is not iron/aluminum - I changed it to Bimbra
* No dead pedal. Very bad for the long drive, especially the limited legroom available for the driver - I got one from Bimbra which is very comfortable.
* Radio quality. Even in the city, the radio reception is poor perhaps due to the antenna
* No climate control.
* The headlights are not powerful enough for the high-way drive.

In summary, the first 10 days of experience of the Thar have been excellent for me! The ride quality was surprisingly smooth in the city, on the highway as well as on the rough-terrain-like forest roads. After serving me loyally for over 8 years and giving me the great pleasure of driving for over 100k km, I think my XUV is going to get a well-deserved break with Thar taking over as the primary ride for me. Of course, XUV is my preferred choice to ferry more people or any ride with my mom.

Based on the reviews here, I thought it wouldn’t be wise to take the Thar on 1000+ km long trips since the ride wouldn’t be comfortable. This trip proved that my assumption was wrong. As I said, I liked the ride quality so much that sometimes I felt it was better than XUV. So, I am going to plan trips to the deserts of Rajasthan, snow peaks of the Himalayas and perhaps North-East too!!

The first service experience has been fantastic. I gave the car at 10 am in the morning. They are done with the full service promptly by 2 pm. The quality of the service was good and Charan (VVC Motors, HITEC City) took a personal interest in ensuring timely service.

I am exploring 4x4 off-roading tracks near Hyderabad. Any suggestions would be of great help to me. Also, I am looking to learn the off-roading techniques. Any groups in Hyderabad that I can join, and/or any events that are happening in/around Hyderabad would be great fun. Looking forward for your recommendations.

I am on cloud nine, for now, planning many trips for the year. The trip to Goa is just around the corner! Just can’t wait!!

Hey, @Bnandury Amazing review on your Mahindra Thar. I have seen your car in the Xenex workshop where I’ve given my Diesel automatic Red Rage Convertible Thar for a list of big modifications as well.

The Xenex manager told me about your big trip in and around Hyderabad and I knew that your Thar is going to be very special to you like every one of us. Vijay manager from VVC motors, Kothaguda is a gem. He provided timely updates and made sure I got a delivery at 10 pm on the night of a Monday considering the fact that I couldn’t get my delivery on a Tuesday due to superstitious reasons in the family. He also agreed to change the floor mats which came in accessories for free as I was not very satisfied with them.

In an era where most of the dealership experiences and services are considered poor, VVC Kothaguda proved otherwise. My Booking date was 21st October 2020, My CPD was 17th February 2021 and my delivery date was 23rd February 2021. I’ve clocked around 1300 kilometers till now and my review about the booking and the dealership experience will be out soon.:)

Below are a few pictures of my Thar, and I am going to be playing around a lot with its Grille, to see which would suit my taste.

Thanks for the informative review. Congratulations and wishing you hundreds of thousands of happy miles on your new Thar :thumbs up I presume this is a diesel AT, is that correct?

Also, could you please elaborate a little on the quality/usage of convertible top?

Yes, it is Diesel AT.

The convertible top was one of my key requirements to buy the Thar, of course, apart from the 4x4 off-roading capabilities. The main use case is for my wife and daughter to enjoy the open-top experience. Since it was the first experience for all of us, I did not have too many expectations. But I realized that going open-top in city rush traffic is not a pleasant experience (pollution and unwanted attention). But when we were returning from late-night dinners (little or no traffic) or short-rides off-Hyderabad, we thoroughly enjoyed it. We have just been to Konda Pochamma reservoir (80 km from Hyd) and the almost 10 km open-top-drive on the Bund road of the reservoir was fantastic. Even my mom was able to stand up and enjoy nature and sunset. In fact I have driven open-top all the way back to my home and our family enjoyed the 90 km ride.

The quality of the material for the convertible top could be better. As I mentioned, zips could be of better quality. The stitching on the rear door was poor. There is a technique to open/close the top. It took me several trials to get it right. For a few days, it really frustrated me. But after a few trials and errors, I kind of figured out the way to do this. It may take ~10 mins each to close/open the top (I am clumsy with zips so, takes me a few more minutes).

While coming back from Chitradurga, I found that the right top corner was making tak-tak sound while going through rough roads. I complained about it at the first service. They fixed it by putting some double-side tape at a particular corner to avoid this sound. It's perfect now.

Hope this helps.


@rakshith2929, thank you for your message. It's a small world.

Big modifications :-) I am now curious to know what modifications you are planning for the Thar. Are these on the interior/exterior accessories or mods on the engineering-front?

Infotainment availability is an issue in Hyderabad VVC too. Even I was told that the vehicle arrived, but they were awaiting infotainment. Although I heard that a few people took the delivery without it, I did not want to risk it. Luckily for me, the delay was just two days and hence did not bother me much.

Congrats on taking delivery of the beast, and wishing you awesome memories with it!

Do post some pics on these accessories, and their costs!
Looks like Hyderabad is raining Thars! I was there just last month, n hardly saw two others - that too AP registered Thars!

Congrats on your ownership, wishing you miles of happy motoring!

What headlamps are these - give us more details on the cost, throw, etc!

A superb video explaining the off-roading basics on the all new Thar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TwOFFzf1UM

Thanks for the feedback! I would strongly suggest that you share this with Mahindra (via Twitter or email) so that they can take corrective actions. On a related note, I am sure that some excellent after-market options for CT will soon be available, if not already.

Also, have you tried removing the canopy altogether i.e. the entire frame? I believe there was a mention in one of the reviews that it can be removed and put back in place quite easily.