Team-BHP - Mahindra Thar Roxx Review

I find couple of points not addressed in the review:
1. Is there a provision to completely fold away the rear seats. Review shows only half folded rear seats and loading area is not totally flat.
2. Photo shows rear gate opening in split mode. Can both the rear glass and gate be opened as one unit?
3. Does the rear door stay partially opened? Photos show that it can only be opened fully.
4. There seems to be some space to store smartphone for rear passengers, how about the driver? Is there any convenient cubby hole to store and retrieve a 6" regular smart phone by driver?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCEite (Post 5824425)

Nice and crisp review !

From a long term strategy point of view, I don't see Mahindra continuing with the Thar 3 door for long now (at least the RWD version).

Personally I feel Mahindra might discontinue the Thar 3 door RWD completely by Q1 2025, and eventually also the Thar 3 Door 4WD , till the niche demand for the 4WD ceases to exist and all stocks are offloaded.

1) 3 Door Thar will sell at least as long as there are sub-4 meter tax benefits.

2) 3 door Thar will at least sell in RWD format with the 1.5L diesel engine as it fulfills all the criteria for lower tax slabs and there will be several takers for this variant.

3) The on-road price difference between 1.5L diesel 3 door RWD Thar and base variant of diesel Thar Roxx is about 4 lakhs. So a lot of buyers will still see value in the 3 door Thar RWD.

4) Optional AWD capability can be added by Mahindra to the 1.5L diesel 3 door Thar by throwing in a 40hp motor to power the front wheels and a 5-6 kwh battery to power the motor. This will lead to a on road cost escalation by Rs 2 lakhs, and will still be about Rs 1.5 lakhs cheaper than a 4X4 3 door Thar with 2.2L diesel engine.
This will also allow the flexibility of using the car as a EV for city commute (at 40-50 kmph) and keep the running costs low. Several fence sitters with budget constraints (Kitna deti hai?) will love this model.

Thank you for such a crisp review in this extremely short time-frame covering all the details so clearly! This car is so handsome and I'm sure Mahindra is going to have fun selling this. I too can't wait for a test drive at least for the fun of it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aditya (Post 5824405)

• Wind noise starts to creep in at 90 km/h. Our test car was shod with MRF Wanderer A/T tyres. While the road noise was controlled on tar surfaces, it was very pronounced on paver blocks and concrete surfaces. Engine noise is never too loud, even at higher revs. At cruising speeds, all you hear is a hum.

Mods, have a quick question here. Even in the Thar 3D, the wind noise started around 80-90 kmph and beyond 100 kmph it was very very loud! How would you compare the 5D vs 3D in this aspect? Does the 5D have the wind noise relatively controlled or it's the same as the 3D?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ach1lles (Post 5824565)

Can we expect these upgrades to trickle down to the three door T anytime soon?

I had same question and they were not very forthright with the replies, so I guess this is something we need to wait and watch.

Personally I would like to see, seats (in black), Infotainment, lights and most importantly the rear lockers to be offered at least as a dealer option for the 3 door.

Quote:

Originally Posted by deetee (Post 5824568)

I find couple of points not addressed in the review:
1. Is there a provision to completely fold away the rear seats. Review shows only half folded rear seats and loading area is not totally flat.

They fold to front but base does not flip over, big miss if you ask me. But then there are two cross members at the base of the seat which will protrude and not really make it a flat bed even if you flip em over.

Quote:

2. Photo shows rear gate opening in split mode. Can both the rear glass and gate be opened as one unit?

Nope same as 3 door. No different apart from the plastic cladding on the roof running till lock latch.

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3. Does the rear door stay partially opened? Photos show that it can only be opened fully.

Yes as long as it is on flat ground.

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4. There seems to be some space to store smartphone for rear passengers, how about the driver? Is there any convenient cubby hole to store and retrieve a 6" regular smart phone by driver?

Has dedicated wireless charger space under the USB slots, that should suffice. Or just chuck it inside the cubby holes after the park brake button.

Quote:

Originally Posted by freakmuzik (Post 5824580)

This was and is little surprising, with the metal unibody this should not have happened. When we test drove we never touched 100 kmph, max was 99 kmph thanks to Kochi roads and traffic. But Adi noticed this. Is it significant like 3 door? No, but it is there. More details next week.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

We have the new Team-BHP "Car of the Year"!!clap:

Mark my words, this by far, was the most important car launch of the year!

M&M now has a product for every buyer and every price point!

Thar - For the Bachelor in you (even if you aren't one)!;)

Roxx - For the Overlander!

Scorpio N - The Family Hauler 4x4

XUV - The sophisticated tech laden AWD!

Of the colors I like the Battleship Grey the best!

M&M will be closely monitoring the response for the 2WD versions, before finalizing the prices for the 4x4.

Looking at the history of M&M and their electrical gremlins, I wish they launch a bare bones 4x4 with;
- Black interiors
- Gauge dials
- No sunroof
- No ADAS
- With 360 cam (Should be a boon in off-roading)
- Ventilated seats

With ROXX being marketed for serious mud plugging, I really hope M&M have tested & water proofed their ADAS hardware. It's a different thing to have ADAS in on-road cars & completely different to have such tech to function reliably for a long time in off-road cars.

Once again, Kudos M&M!!

Cheers,
Powertrain

Great first drive review, covering all points. Thanks for publishing. Brilliant price strategy and great features. This one will disrupt the market and will be a sure winner for Mahindra.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr.AD (Post 5824446)

1. The biggest bummer is no 4x4 in Petrol. That is a deal-breaker for someone like me, especially in the BS6 era where diesel engines are a huge headache. This was the biggest reason why Scorpio N was off my list (or someone like me who is now back to petrol forever, and still wants a 4X4), and sad that Thar 5D (can't type that actual name again!) has the same problem.

I have the same gripe. I was ready to book it in old school IRCTC style! Big downer for me with no 4x4 in petrol and now I am back to the drawing board with my 10 year tax deadline coming soon for my Duster AWD.

Surely a decision from Pratap Bose who decided to skip 4WD in Safari and Harrier as well! :) I doubt if they will launch a 4WD petrol for 1% of the customers. Many NCR folks will be happy with the RWD petrol as a lifestyle vehicle and Mahindra will milk the cash. It seems like they just didn't have the spirit to invest in testing an additional power train in 4WD. But this is a departure from the Mahindra legacy and the Thar brand, although it may be sensible from a commercial perspective. But it is the biggest drawback for me as minor quirks in the looks will gradually grow on you.

Also, no mention of the late Mr Dhabhar, the father of the Thar, during the launch event (I found it thoroughly boring).

Thank You for point by point clarifications. Some follow up questions in bold here:

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Originally Posted by Jaggu (Post 5824583)

So, since the 2nd row has fixed base, is there any kind of storage space underneath it. Photos show that - from the back - there is a flap covering what looked like an empty space.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaggu (Post 5824583)

Nope same as 3 door. No different apart from the plastic cladding on the roof running till lock latch.

For a 3 door version, I understand the split gate design is due to optional fiber/folding roof. I don't see any reason for 5 door version to carry the same design when the roof is metal and welded in place. They should really have given a proper full size boot door, sigh!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaggu (Post 5824583)

Has dedicated wireless charger space under the USB slots, that should suffice. Or just chuck it inside the cubby holes after the park brake button.

Are the cubby holes near park brake enough to take the length of a mobile? Many times, a co passenger may use up the charging space and driver has to find other places to rest the phone. Hence asking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaggu (Post 5824583)

The top is not a unibody, is it? it seems like the black part is welded to the white structure that covers A and B pillars.

Appreciate the detailed review inspite of lack of time available to spend with the Roxx.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aditya (Post 5824403)

Mahindra Thar Roxx Cons

• No 3rd row of seats, which the Scorpio-N & XUV700 offer

Due to lack of 5-doors on Thar, Mahindra designed Roxx, now we want the Thar in a 7-seat Avatar.

Roxx was designed as a 5-seater so why expect 3rd row seats and then complaint about the lack of boot space, or off-roading capabilities etc. etc.

Yet to see a review of a 7-seater from Mahindra in recent times, which is appreciated for 3rd row seats.

Roxx was designed to be a 5-door, 5-seater vehicle, so must be appreciated for what it is, rather than comparing with 7-seaters and adding a point to the cons list.

Cheers

The Thar Roxx is a huge huge step on the three door. I honestly didnt expect to be loaded with the feature set that it has. You now have a true blue SUV with everything thrown in.

I was at the media drive too and had a diesel MT 4x4 at my disposal. Some thoughts as a 3 door owner:

The ride quality is way up from the 3 door. Bumps and undulations are handled way better than the 3 door. But still it isnt plush. I did feel some vertical movement.

The clutch pedal is light and the gearbox felt easy to use. The electric steering is much easier to handle. But at the same time, I have to say that the 3 door hydraulic unit has just that little more feel. Maybe because its old school.

Nice infotainment system. This and the rear wash wipe is what I really want in my 3 door if I could have it. Personally not a fan of ADAS and 360 camera etc. And big plus for ventilated seats.

The grille will grow on you but owners will surely go for a change. Just car guy things you see. Im sure even bumpers will go the same way too.

The lights look good and im going to see if I can retro fit the same tail lights on my car as a bolt on.

Love the boot space on offer and the glovebox is a proper one with good storage space. Miss these on my Thar.

Mahindra really needs to bring 4x4 to the petrol Thar Roxx. It does have a market even though smaller compared to diesel.

After coming back from Kochi, I got into my 3 door and then a couple of thoughts struck me. When I drove the Thar Roxx, it didnt feel like I was driving a Thar outright, it felt more like the Scorpio N thanks to all those features and the general feel of it.

I just somehow felt that in making the Thar Roxx more civilised and family friendly, it lost out on that bit of hardcore Thar feel. If you get what I mean.

Quote:

Originally Posted by highwaypatrol (Post 5824599)

Brochure says LED fender light (turn indicator) , but in real it seems like a halogen bulb. .

Fender if you see has two indicators, one facing front which is LED and second one which is known as side markers that are normal bulbs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by deetee (Post 5824601)

So, since the 2nd row has fixed base, is there any kind of storage space underneath it. Photos show that - from the back - there is a flap covering what looked like an empty space.

Good observation, that flap is to cover the cross member. We had lifted it and checked. Good for safety and rigidity.

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They should really have given a proper full size boot door, sigh!!

To be honest not a big deal at all. The split gate saves additional weight for larger tyres etc. And I personally prefer it and is more convenient to just open and throw stuff in.

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Are the cubby holes near park brake enough to take the length of a mobile?

In 2 wheel drive there are long cubby hole, 4x4 you have to chuck it in vertical. I was confused with the 4x2 and 4x4, so front wireless pad is best place.

Quote:

The top is not a unibody, is it? it seems like the black part is welded to the white structure that covers A and B pillars.

I will try to get the structure schematics with cross section, but they seemed like proper shell and not really an after design weld job.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2JZ-GTE (Post 5824607)

Should I wait for the facelift to come or just get Roxx RWD MT:D

If you need a city car + highway tourer, close your eyes and make that Roxx 4x2 top end booking. Only if you are going to do serious amount of offroad I would recommend for wait.