[kiku007]

This was the last vehicle I expected to get four stars. I would safely assume that a good number of Thar’s target audience wouldn’t have expected that as well.

Incredibly, Mahindra has put the effort and resources to make an off-road vehicle that achieved four stars. Very well done Mahindra. They've come a long way from the Scorpio.


It’ll be great if they could achieve similar improvements in product quality, fit and finish.

Notes:

• The ESC test confirms what many reviewers had pointed out. “the car showed an unstable dynamic behaviour.”. I hope people understand the limitations of the vehicle.
• GNCAP and Euro NCAP have different parameters. So please be aware of that when comparing the Wrangler and Thar ratings.
• Global carmakers like Hyundai, KIA, Honda don’t need to learn to make safe cars for India. They just need to stop making them un-safe for India.
• Maruti will only change when the market changes. Until then it's hopeless to expect any improvements from them.

[comfortablynumb]

Even though I own a M&M vehicle, I have been quite critical of them in the past in various threads. However, for this achievement, I will take my hat off to them. While the 4 stars for the Marazzo and XUV300 are also creditable, getting the same rating (with better scores) for the Thar would have taken some doing from the engineers.

Slightly OT:
After watching crash testing videos like those shared in this thread, I hope the general car buying public realize that a car with a good safety rating won't automatically save you from crashes. For that to happen:
1. You should be wearing seat belts.
2. Your kids should be in age appropriate child seats.

While the % of people wearing seat belts both in front and rear seats is slowly increasing, can't say the same about point 2 above. Hope to see an upward trend sooner rather than later for that too (child seats are really not as expensive as you might think).

[GTO]

Now I feel even happier about my decision to buy the Thar . This is a stupendously awesome achievement not just because no one expected this Jeep to do well in a crash test, but also open 4x4s of this body style are rarely considered "safe". Man, Mahindra is really ending 2020 on a high. First, the huge buzz around the Thar and now this. They have executed the Thar to perfection.

That said, we must not forget that the crash test rating is just one part of safety. There are many more factors on which safety is dependent. One of them is the high speed behaviour which the Thar absolutely sucks at. You can't cruise in one at 120 kmph all day long because it can't handle an emergency manouveur well or even a sudden road dip at that speed. Best to drive safe & easy in a purpose-built offroader . 100 - 110 kmph is the max that I'd recommend.

Congrats to the entire Mahindra team! I got messages from some of them and they have clearly had a party last night.

[Thilak29]

Very glad that Indian badges are flagbearers of safety, next conquest should be on quality - then we are unbeatable.

Its time government tightens the screw further and insurance companies adjust their premiums based on safety ratings from these global agencies.

[Storm2.0]

Considering the high amount of viewership that Team Bhp official reviews get, I humbly request the Mods to start highliting the safety aspects of cars manufactured in India by highlighting their GNCAP score in bold.
The new Thar owners must be feeling even more proud and satisfied after seeing such a confidence inspiring GNCAP result.

Feeling sad for Seltos owners, who spent more than a million INR, as much as or even more than the price of Thar, just to get a poor body shell, which gets only 3 stars . If I was a Seltos owner and saw such results, I would've felt so cheated and betrayed by now.

[handsofsteel]

I discussed this with a few colleagues at work. Believe me you, for all the brouhaha, people are just not bothered. It's only a passionate minority that cares. Unless this is not mandated by the government, nothing is going to change. People treat this like the star rating on a refrigerator or AC, good to have but not a deal breaker.
I remember buying my first car in 2008 and being adamant that it had to have air bags (then only two available). I was counseled/cajoled/berated then for such fanciful ideas. Sad to see that nothing has changed in 13 years.

[locusjag]

First the Marazzo and now the Thar, with a superior GNCAP rating. Whatever happened to our (mis)understanding that body on frame vehicles are inherently unsafe in the event of a crash? I know that the Marazzo's body is fused with the underlying frame instead of using the normal body mounts and I thought maybe that's what made the Marazzo score well in the GNCAP assessment. But the Thar doesn't have a fused construction I think. What's the science behind these body on frame vehicles' superb crash ratings?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

To really appreciate what Mahindra has achieved here, look at the A pillar, windshield and roof! From the Scorpio to the new Thar -

[fhdowntheline]

On the ESC test, I am a bit curious though, the way the car behaved when the control forces kicked in. On an (apparently) level and smooth tarmac, the chassis swayed up quite a bit.
Now imagine this on typical Indian road conditions where the tarmac itself is uneven, the chassis and wheels would most probably not be able to balance it out beyond a particular speed.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by GTO

That said, we must not forget that the crash test rating is just one part of safety. There are many more factors on which safety is dependent. One of them is the high speed behaviour which the Thar absolutely sucks at. You can't cruise in one at 120 kmph all day long because it can't handle an emergency manouveur well or even a sudden road dip at that speed. Best to drive safe & easy in a purpose-built offroader . 100 - 110 kmph is the max that I'd recommend.

Totally!

Just not the Thar, even the other traditional body on frame SUVs suck at high speeds. Even the vans, take the crysta 2.8, you start enjoying the strength of the engine, the first curve comes and you get taken aback at how poor a handler the car is.
I experience it every time I drive my Storme at speeds. These cars are best driven at 100 kmph max!

Moreover, with more speeds, and the more mass that they already have, it's going to be a double whammy with that resultant momentum, making it almost impossible to come out alive from a crash.

[Sedate]

This is great news. Especially for a vehicle that was never considered safe. I always avoided traveling in a mahindra jeep as long as alternatives were available. But given the state of roads and the ability of the vehicle, there were no alternatives available many a times.

A relative got a new Bolero to travel to hilly areas recently. I never felt safe in it going through highways. Given that the new Thar will be safer, I cant use the old adage that M&M vehicles crushes like M&M candies. Both are addictive and sweet! Well done Mahindra! It seems you really are going to be Maha and even Indra would be jealous.

[landcruiser123]

A tremendous achievement by M&M. It is a great show all through with the Thar. I can only say that I hope this upward trend continues and things will get better with every Mahindra product.

Getting a good safety rating is consistently possible as proven by Tata & Mahindra time & again. The so-called "big players" (MSIL + Hyundai-Kia) shouldn't hide anymore and give the Indian customer a safe product.

Originally Posted by GTO

That said, we must not forget that the crash test rating is just one part of safety. There are many more factors on which safety is dependent. One of them is the high speed behaviour which the Thar absolutely sucks at. You can't cruise in one at 120 kmph all day long because it can't handle an emergency manouveur well or even a sudden road dip at that speed. Best to drive safe & easy in a purpose-built offroader . 100 - 110 kmph is the max that I'd recommend.

Well said, safety starts with the driver respecting the limits (man & machine) and also the conditions (traffic, road, & weather.)

These body-on-frame UVs are best enjoyed while cruising between 90-110 kph at top gear with the engine silently ticking over at 1500-2200 RPM. The Mahindra Thar is not a machine most people will take on a 350km road trip.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by rageshgr

Well well, no excuse now. If our own company with a 4*4 and 2 liter engine selling at 10 lac can make a car this safe, anybody else can and should!

Exactly and just to be fair it was VW who led from the front when it launched the Polo with dual airbags and ABS at 4.99 lacs ex showroom in 2014 eventually followed suit by others. They pretty much junked the argument made by other manufacturers then about the "price issues" involved in a market like ours. Also noting that it was in addition to the Polo being the strongest platform then, in that segment. VW got my respect.

Six years down the line I am very happy at our situation when homegrown manufacturers have taken the lead in safety and are catching up rapidly on quality.

And in a market where the "numbers on the sheet" matter a lot, if the safety/GNCAP ratings(with adult and child protection scores) start influencing purchase decision of the majority of buyers, we are heading in the right direction.

Happy days of motoring

[Mafia]

Well done Mahindra!

And this is fantastic news for the customers who already own the new Thar.

Amazing benchmark being set by an Indian manufacturer.

[Annibaddh]

Glorious month this. Excellent news all around for Indian manufacturers. And a wake up call for everyone else. Thar is particularly impressive for so many reasons many people have already mentioned here. But I think what makes it even more impressive is that Mahindra sought to make it safe in the first place. I mean no one would have complained right, if Mahindra didn't send it for GNCAP. Buyers would have bought one irrespective. So Mahindra didn't really *need* to do it. They just did. Bloody awesome!