[navsjab]

They say that if you wish for something sincerely you eventually get it. I started believing in this saying when our Mahindra Thar CRDe came home on 10th June 2016.

Owning a Thar had always been my dream. However, I could not agree with myself to pay for something that was unnecessarily overpriced (my opinion). As a matter of fact the decision to purchase the Thar became possible thanks to my wife. I am very happy to document the journey so far, with our Thar.

Alternatives considered

(i) I own an Ikon and had no plans to buy another car for myself. I happened to test drive the Abarth Punto and was completely swept away by it. I was sure to purchase it whenever I would need to have a second car (probably sometime after marriage assuming my wife would drive to work). Though my mother was not convinced about having a hatch for that kind of price, this would not change my decision.



(ii) I always had a fascination for a used vehicle which would either be a classic Contessa or an offroader like a Thar/MM550/Gypsy. As mentioned earlier I found the price of a new Thar way too much to purchase it first-hand. This plan of a second hand car died out since I picked up the Ikon from my Uncle in 2015.

So, how did the THAR decision take place?

In October, 2015 I was engaged to Bhavneet. During a conversation with her one evening, I told her about my plan to purchase the Abarth Punto if we had to have a second car in the house. I had then, never told her about my fascination for a Thar.
One day, on my way back from work I was speaking to Bhavneet over the phone and the topic of a Thar came up. This was either because I spotted one or I was talking about Sumitro's (@BlackPearl) Thar. We then shared our mutual liking for the vehicle. I had never in my dreams imagined that my life partner would say that she loves a Thar. Probably her hometown (Bhopal) helped that happen. I was certain that the decision to purchase an Abarth Punto was going to change to a Thar. My mom again, wanted us to consider the Duster instead. The Duster AWD was a little too pricey for my liking and I was hell bent on the Thar now.
I went to the Mohon Motors showroom in Kolkata a couple of times to check if they would have the New Thar on display since I really wanted to have a look at the new interiors. At the first visit they turned me down and told me that they would inform me if they ever had one on display. I planned to go to Mohon Motors once again, this time to book the vehicle even if I would not get a change to have a look at it. While speaking to the Sales Executive (Sushmita Das) about the booking process I also expressed my interest to have a look at the vehicle. I was overwhelmed when she said that I could check out the Thar on that very day itself. The only condition was that I would have to go to the stockyard. There was not much time for the stockyard to close for the day, we stormed to the stockyard which was about 10-15 kms from the showroom. I inspected the vehicle closely and was happy with the changes made to the interiors.

Booking experience with the dealership

May, 2016
I was to be wed in July, 2016. As my wedding preparation were on, the decision to book the vehicle had to be deferred for later. However, being a person who believes in his dreams and wishes, I wished to have a road trip soon after my wedding. For this to happen I needed the vehicle as soon as possible so that I could complete the run in period before the road trip. In this regard, my dad was extremely supportive. We booked the Thar on 17th May 2016 at Mohan Motors, Kolkata (Chowringhee Road). The sales execution promised a delivery in 1.5 months. Mahindra kept a cushion of another 15 days and the auto generated text I received read that I would get the delivery by 17th July 2016.
I requested the sales executive (Sushmita Das) for an early delivery since my Fiancée and family were going to be in town for my birthday (in June). I wanted the delivery either on the day Bhavneet was in town (10th June), or after my wedding in July. Sushmita said that she would try her best.
Sushmita informed us, on 27th May that the vehicle had started from the factory and it would take 9-12 days for it to reach Kolkata. I called up Sumitro (@Blackpearl) and asked him if he would be available for a PDI once the vehicle would be in Kolkata, he gave a tentative thumbs up.

June, 2016
The Thar arrived in Kolkata on the evening of 7th June. I went to the stockyard on 8th June, along with Blackpearl for the PDI. Everything looked fine. Blackpearl spotted a fused fuse lying on the floor of the Thar for which the executive there could not say anything convincing. He was not sure how and why it was there. Also, the fuel lid seemed to be crooked (usual Thar thing perhaps). Man-power fixed that.
Blackpearl drove the vehicle a little, engaged the 4H, 4L, checked the auto lock engaging/disengaging and he was happy with it. I called up Sushmita and gave her a go ahead for the paper work. I requested a delivery on the evening of 10th June as Bhavneet was going to land in Kolkata that day.

Pictures from the PDI



Delivery process

I reached the showroom in the evening after work for all final paper work and delivery formalities so that once Bhavneet lands in Kolkata she could come directly to the showroom to take delivery. Their flight was a little delayed and the addition of traffic during rush hour made me wonder if Mahindra would allow delivery that day. Sushmita and team were very supportive. They assured me that they would wait. They also got the vehicle ready with ribbons, balloons and the red cover so that there would be less time loss. Finally we took the delivery and to my surprise the team had a birthday cake ready for me (my birthday was a day before). They had probably gone through the papers I was filling up.

All in all a very happy experience for me. A special thanks to the team for getting the car delivered exactly when I wanted it and also having my small birthday celebration there.







On-road price & discounts

We were quoted 10.12 Lakhs for the vehicle, no discounts or accessories included. Sushmita wanted us to finalize the invoice in May so that with June's speculated price hike we would not have to pay that increased amount. We obliged and started with the loan processing. During the delivery (in June) I checked the new price list, the Thar CRDe 4x4 was for around 10.22 Lakhs.

Extended warranties & service packages

The vehicle come with a one year and 36000 Kilometers warranty and there is no provision for extended warranty. The usual first three services free of labour charge.

Into the Technicalities

Vehicle Details



Number of kilometers at milestones

KMs reading during PDI: 16
KMs reading during delivery: 38 (I got the car once they got the inspection done at motor vehicle)
KMs reading at this point of time: 23k

Driving Experience

The Thar is usually used by Bhavneet to work which is around 10 kms from home through peak city traffic. This is again inconsistent as she has client visits pretty often and takes the car depending on the parking provided.
It is also the preferred vehicle for the road trips since it runs on diesel.

For city travel there is not much of a problem apart from the bumpy ride I feel compared to the Ikon that I drive daily. The turbo kicks in at around the 1800 rpm mark and the power is sufficient for city use. While I drive the Thar in the city I am often tempted to take a bad route that others cannot take and also helps you save time. This gives me cheap thrills.

For long highway stretches, the seating may be a pain. I felt this during the long stretch while on our trip to Ladakh. On day-2 of our trip my lower back started to pain, and lasted only while I was driving. After that the pain did not occur again, probably it was something new to get used to.

On high speeds you get to hear a lot of canopy fluttering noise. Also, the steering feedback is not confidence inspiring and sticking to 100-120 kmph at max is good enough. Though the vehicle pulls till 155-160 kmph on the speedo.

The reverse gear has an issue to engage intermittently. The clutch has started to feel hard to me (I don’t know, maybe cause of the softer Ikon clutch) though my wife says it is fine.

Exterior

I have always loved the way this vehicle looks. The finish on the outer surface is not great though. You can easily see the unevenness on the body surfaces. Also, the design does not allow for a streamlined air flow over the body causing a lot of drag. At higher speeds, if you use the wipers they behave in an uncontrolled fashion due to the angle of wind. The canopy again has been improvement compared to the earlier Thar model and makes less noise. It has been a little more than a year and I do not see any significant issue with the paint quality on the exterior.

Our Thar still runs on the stock Bridgestone Duelers. I have changed from stock to alloy rims only recently after procuring them friend and bhpian Debarshi (cloudmobile_deb). The stock setup have performed very well both on road and offroad. I am yet to get the alloys dirty.

The wheel arches and front bumper flanges that came on the Thar had a glaze finish to it which started peeling off after a few months. During our Ladakh trip in August, 2016, the coating from one of the bumper flange came off completely. I had complained to Mahindra and they got the parts replaced under warranty. The replacement parts had a matt finish instead of the glaze.

Detailed exterior review here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post3797432

Interior

Coming to the interior of the car, I really like the new dash compared to the previous gen Thar. The AC vents have a feature to shut off each vent individually by turning the outer ring. The windshield demister vents, as mentioned earlier have a leak from which air passes even when the demister is off. There are enough compartments to store small things in the console. Large enough compartment under the hand brake for a mobile phone (phablet). The 4L/4H lever is placed in front of the gear leaver and one needs to bend down in order to engage/disengage it. The turn on/off indications for the 4H4L work according to their wish and turning them off on a certain occasion was a pain.

The joints (welding) on the interior can be spotted very easily and Mahindra has made no effort to conceal it. This is a pain for the eye as one pays a huge amount for a vehicle to expect something better.

The front seats have basic comfort and places you in a commanding position. One has a good view of the road in front once seated. Though some of my friends shorter than me feel that the front dash is too high and hinders their visibility. No issues for legroom and headroom for me in the front (I am 6 feet tall).

The rear seats are not really used by us until very necessary. They are opposite facing seats and passengers sitting there often land up with a neck ache since they always look at the road in front instead of facing each other. The rear is not comfortable to ride due to the leaf spring suspension. One the rear is loaded the vehicle rides much better.

The vehicle still does not have a music system and is powered with a JBL charge with music off the mobile phone.

The ORVM are huge and cover everything around. I have also installed a blind spot mirror on the right ORVM that helps even more. The inside rear view mirror has a limited use once there is rain/dust/condensation on the rear part of the canopy. You cannot see much once that happens.
The AC is very effective and since it is usually only the two of us in the car I cannot comment on someone who sits on the rear seats. Though on an instance or two I have had no complaints with the AC while sitting behind.We usually use only the first position for the fan speed.
The glove box and storage box (under the passenger seat) are lockable and big enough for storage of important things.
The quality of stitching on the canopy that joins the velcro to it are very poor. Use the velcro a few times and the stitches start opening up. Also, the velcro stuck onto the canopy at the left and right sides have started to open up and will need to be re-stuck. Water can also make a passage where the canopy has large stitch holes.
The OBD port and the fuse box is placed under the steering, concealed by a plastic board with clamps. The board can the opened by force and you can easily access the required elements.

Detailed interior review here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post3797441

Safety & related equipment

Nothing much to talk on this regard as there is nothing apart from a seat belt to mention about safely. I have heard from other owners of the previous Thar that the new Thar has improved braking. With the improvements also, you feel the lack of confidence when you want the car to stop.

Fuel Efficiency:

The Thar returns 9-10 kmpl in the city and 10-13 kmpl on the highway.

Service and Maintenance Log:

The with you Hamesha app has made this very easy to track

Damage on right bumper flange and right side indicator

Picture of the broken right bumper flange. This was done by a truck as it turned left at a signal crossing, in the city from the middle lane.



Rs. 2,256/-

1st Free Service

On our way to Ladakh, in Mandi.
Engine oil and oil filter change
Cost: 2,224/-

2nd Free Service

Transmission oil and differential oil change
Cost: 1,963/-

Hand brake cable replacement

Cost: 472/-

3rd Free Service

Engine oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter
Cost: 4,512/-

On using the vehicle after the third service I noticed a large amount of Engine Oil dripping from the drain nut. I went to the service center immediately and they sorted it within an hour. The culprit was the washer. Apart from this there have not been any major issues with the after sales service.

Likes

• The looks, the looks and the looks!
• Road presence, thanks to the looks.
• Mechanical locking rear differential.
• The confidence inspiring ground clearance. I can take her on any over-sized speed breaker without having a thought that the under belly may scrape. This has actually spoilt me since I drive the Ikon on a daily basis and have to be extra careful due to the switch of cars. The fact that this vehicle can be taken anywhere without any problem is so comforting.
• Enough power to drive smoothly on highways.
• Interiors are so much better that the previous model (in my opinion). No steering offset noticed.
• The air conditioner is superb. I use it on the lowest fan speed most of the time.
• 12V charging port inbuilt. Mentioned this since it was not in the previous Thar.

Dislikes

• Lack of safety features
• Lack of finish on the outer body surface.
• The seat belt position was uncomfortable for me in the beginning (I am six feet tall). I have now become used to it though.
• The windshield demister vents seem to have air leaks. Air passes through the vents even when turned off. This causes condensation on the outer surface of the windshield. I have applied cello tape on the vents to avoid this.
• No inbuilt audio at this price
• The lack of security of belonging being a soft top
• The brakes, though better than the previous gen Thar still feel they should be better.

Accessories

This Thar is very close to stock and has been so since more than a year. The only additions are

• Insect mesh
• Recent addition of alloy wheels (picture below). These were the Tiara chrome alloys that I procured from Debarshi and got them painted as per my liking.

I wish to get the front bumper changed soon but am in a dilemma after get used to the looks of these.

[navsjab]

Some Pictures





Ladakh Trip
More details here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ndra-thar.html





Sandakphu Trip





Somewhere in east Sikkim



From our recent trip to Darjeeling
More details here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-our-thar.html





Some pictures from our offroading meets









PC Sumitro/Arav


PC Sumitro/Arav


PC: Samba


MLD video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9UZc91ntBI

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[BlackPearl]

Wow, this report was due for a long time and let me be the first one to congratulate you. You have truly utilised the Thar in the last one year. Wish you all the best and many more trouble free kilometers with the Red Rhino!

[yogesh.8984]

Congratulations Navtej on your wonderful possession. Very happy to know that your better half herself is your partner in crime here

Originally Posted by navsjab

Damage on right bumper flange and right side indicator

Picture of the broken right bumper flange. This was done by a truck as it turned left at a signal crossing, in the city from the middle lane.

Attachment 1671996

I wish to get the front bumper changed soon but am in a dilemma after get used to the looks of these.

Would recommend to get the bumper fixed (or changed) as the broken one doesn't look good on such a lovely machine. Wish you both happy miles together.

[uday.ere]

Congrats Navtej and Bhavneet on living your dreams. Some very stupendous photos / videos there.

Wishing you many many more happy miles in your Red Rhino.

I too have been having this urge to get a Thar, but the utilitarian interiors and the asking prices (blame it on Bangalore taxes) have kept me away. Every time I think I have successfully controlled my urge, along comes a Thread / Travelogue replete with awesome pictures of the Thar and reasoning goes out the window into the nearest slushroad.

I have this sneaky feeling that my urge may win over my self-control one of these days

Congrats once again to both of you.

Cheers,
Uday

[Lone Ranger]

That's awesome Navtej, it's great to see the Thar doing what it is meant for! It's amazing that inspite of all its shortcomings, it still tugs on the heartstrings like nothing else. It's been around for a while now, and are quite a common sight in Delhi, but I still turn and look whenever I spot one! By the way, did you have any prior offroading experience or did you just buy the Thar and learn as you drove? I ask because I have never 'offroaded' anything except my car on the occasional government sponsored special trails aka city roads, so was wondering how steep the learning curve is for a noob.

[bkc]

MLD video

Congrats on your ride. I loved the Thar in this red avatar.

[asingh1977]

Lovely thread. Regarding the bumper: A simple metallic one (black), same height profile will look awesome, contrasting the red. A feel, if the grill is blocked, it takes away the soul of the Thar. A jeep is actually a living embodiment. Again,just my view. Awesome machine.

[drmohitg]

It would be great if you could add some interior pictures too to your otherwise wonderful review. Very few reviews are out there and since Thar is a vehicle which many people are increasingly considering buying as their daily ride, it will be helpful.

[Samba]

Excellent ownership report. Thar is an excellent vehicle with its own pros and cons.
Thar is like a dream girl, many people dream to marry one but only few end up being that lucky !
Wish you thousands of happy miles. Rated 5*

I like the Thar too but my better half is against a Thar. She prefers sedans and at most she is giving me the permission to go for a cross over! You were really lucky in this aspect. Else a silver Thar was in my wish list for a long time!

Am in the process of convincing my better half that if i get a Thar, i will spend another 2L on it and will go for a hard top from Brimba, front facing rear seats, ironman shock-absorbers and nice alloys with AT tyres to make it more comfortable. Still i can get a proper off roader & tourer nearly at 12L on road with AC and power steering which seems to be vfm! My child hood dream was a blue Gypsy but now a Thar makes more sense. Else the cheapest option is the Scorpio S4+ at 14L on road. Though the ABS and airbags are the added advantage on the Scorpio. Duster AWD is a good option too but am not very sure about its future once the Captur is launched. Lets see what happens, only time will tell! Who knows even Jeep may bring the Renegade AWD in a competitive price!

[Samfromindia]

Excellent write up on one of the most desired car in TeamBhp Kolkata group Your thread will be useful to lot of new Thar buyers in coming years. I liked driving your car for the brief moment i got during Bhpian Samba's wedding and surprisingly enjoyed it. It will be great if you keep this thread updated with all the customization you do in the coming months and review the options available in Kolkata.

Rhino beside Scarlett : Standing tall among the modern crossovers.

[navsjab]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Wow, this report was due for a long time and let me be the first one to congratulate you. You have truly utilised the Thar in the last one year. Wish you all the best and many more trouble free kilometers with the Red Rhino!

Thank you BlackPearl. Especially for being there during the PDI and answering my queries related to the Thar.

Originally Posted by uday.ere

I have this sneaky feeling that my urge may win over my self-control one of these days

Thank you uday.ere. I wish your urge win over your self-control very soon

Originally Posted by Lone Ranger

By the way, did you have any prior offroading experience or did you just buy the Thar and learn as you drove? I ask because I have never 'offroaded' anything except my car on the occasional government sponsored special trails aka city roads, so was wondering how steep the learning curve is for a noob.

Thank you Lone Ranger. The only exposure I got to offroad before the Thar came was with Anirban's (@1100D) Scorpio on an event with Kolkata Offroaders. I enjoyed it. I had been to a few of the offroading events but did not drive. So a lot of back seat knowledge. However, once the Thar came and I drove during such events. There was loads to learn. Even now, each time we go for an event, each time a new obstacle is taken there is something new to learn. I guess I am still on the upward incline of the learning curve.

Originally Posted by yogesh.8984

Would recommend to get the bumper fixed (or changed) as the broken one doesn't look good on such a lovely machine. Wish you both happy miles together.

Originally Posted by asingh1977

Lovely thread. Regarding the bumper: A simple metallic one (black), same height profile will look awesome, contrasting the red. A feel, if the grill is blocked, it takes away the soul of the Thar. A jeep is actually a living embodiment. Again,just my view. Awesome machine.

Thank you yogesh.8984 and asingh1977.

The broken bumper stayed on only for a week. The mention in the thread was for the amount spent on fixing the same. However, I plan to get the Mahindra Expedition Kit front bumper fitted in the future.

Damage on right bumper flange and right side indicator

Picture of the broken right bumper flange. This was done by a truck as it turned left at a signal crossing, in the city from the middle lane.

Rs. 2,256/-

Originally Posted by drmohitg

It would be great if you could add some interior pictures too to your otherwise wonderful review. Very few reviews are out there and since Thar is a vehicle which many people are increasingly considering buying as their daily ride, it will be helpful.

Thank you drmohitg. The official review for the updated Thar was shared on TeamBhp and I provided a link to the interior section in my review. Since the models were the same I did not provide pictures separately.

Detailed interior review here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post3797441

Originally Posted by Samba

I like the Thar too but my better half is against a Thar. She prefers sedans and at most she is giving me the permission to go for a cross over! You were really lucky in this aspect. Else a silver Thar was in my wish list for a long time!

Thank you Samba. I was really lucky, no doubt. Was very surprising for me as well.

Originally Posted by Samfromindia

I liked driving your car for the brief moment i got during Bhpian Samba's wedding and surprisingly enjoyed it. It will be great if you keep this thread updated with all the customization you do in the coming months and review the options available in Kolkata.

Rhino beside Scarlett : Standing tall among the modern crossovers.
Attachment 1685957

Thank you Samfromindia. I will surely keep the thread updated. Glad you enjoyed driving the Thar.

[navsjab]

Is has been long since this thread was updated, so here goes:

Oct 2017 - Got the wheels aligned from the service center along with some minor adjustments for the handbrake.

Rs. 851/-

Jan 2018 - The handbrake cable of the Thar broke during the Sandakphu Trip in Dec 2017, so for the 2nd time I got this fixed at the service center.

Reference to the picture during the trip: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attac...nd-time-21.jpg

Rs. 534/-

Oct 2018 - 4th (paid) Service - Oil and filter replacement

Rs. 3703/-

[navsjab]

Preparation for the Spiti Trip, July 2019

Wheels and tyres

The Thar was 3 years old and needed some care before starting off for a trip like Spiti (from Bangalore). For starters, there was a running tyre that had a pin hole in the sidewall which a repaired using an ordinary punture seal back in September, 2018. It worked well for 8-9 months but I wanted a better solution than that. I did some research and finally got an internal patch and an external treatment work done from a specialist and used that tyre as stepney. Along with this repair, I got the wheels balanced and aligned.

Rs. 950 + 850 = 1800/-

The tyre with the puncture seal - The internal patch - The external treatment


Balancing and Alignment work in progress


4x4 mechanism issues?

In the month of May, 2019 we went for our first OTR in Bangalore and discovered that the Automatic Locking Hubs (ALM) were not engaging. Needless to say that I did not have fun at the OTR! Anyway, two days later I took a half day from work and went straight to the Mahindra ASS and got them checked. They confirmed the same and estimated around 22.2k plus labour for one ALH. As recommended by many 4x4 enthusiasts, I went to Swastik Fabs and got the Lamda Manual Locking Hubs installed. Finally happy.

Rs. 5400/- (including fitting)

Manual locking hubs


Service story

Jun 2019 - This was the proxy for the 5th service. Proxy cause the Thar did not touch 40k kms just then, and I wanted to get a number of items checked/worked on for the trip.

Work Done

• 25 point checkup
• Brake/Clutch oil - replacement
• Fuel filter - replacement
• Coolant - replacement
• Manual transmission - replacement
• Diff oil (rear) - replacement
• Brake pads - replacement recommended by Service advisor
• Engine oil - Top up
• and other miscellaneous work

I also purchased the following for the trip

• Air Filter
• Power steering oil
• Headlight bulb - Since I had used the backup as the bulb got spoil earlier
• Bulbs

Pending to do: bump stop (stopper rebound), as one side's was damaged. They did not have stock.

Rs. 15,791/-

The bump stop was not replaced during the previous service and there were no updates from the service center as well. Loosing hope from them to call back, after a week of the part order given, I visited them. To my surprise the parts in-charge was unaware of any such order and assured me that he would call me within a day for the requested part. In the mean time, during a week of waiting I had already purchased the incorrect bump stop (front suspension) via Boodmo. Great app for the first time I used it. I requested a return for the incorrect part. On the same day, the parts in-charge gave me a call since he got the part requested. I went and picked it up (set of 2). Installation was a DIY.

Rs. 162/-

Before pic of the damaged stopper and new rebound stopper


During the usage of the Thar for a week before the trip, I was keeping a close eye on all area worked on by the ASS, since I have had experiences of poor work quality earlier, at a different service center and did not want the same to repeat. Anyway, I saw a reduction in coolant each day of drive and was getting anxious. I went to the service center again and got it thoroughly checked even after I had carefully checked and found no leakage. They failed to notice anything too. Instead they simply recommended the replacement of the intercooler-intake hose (having no relevance with the issue in question). Not much pocket damage and they were taking advantage of a customer who was ready to do anything to have a trip without issues. So I let them do that.

During the inspection at Mahindra ASS


Later on, we attributed the leakage (read evaporation) of coolant to the Bangalore traffic.

Intercooler-Intake hose replacement

Rs. 834/-

Keeping the vision good

I also got a frame-less aftermarket set of wipers as the wipers were never replaced since purchase. Rs. 384

The Wipers


For a smoother movement on the highways

Paytm Fastag - Purchased a month before the trip



Modifications

The Thar completed 3 years of ownership with us on 10th of June and we thus pampered it a little by adding a few mods to it. Also, it would serve as a new look for the trip pictures compared to the Ladakh trip done back in 2016.

• Work at Monkey Autocrafts, Bangalore

Front Bumper


Hella, red grill horns

• The remaining work was done at Bluegarage, Bangalore

Rear Bumper with the bow schakles


A-Pillar and 13.5" bumper mounted LED lights with removable filters



Self stitched covers for the lights


Throw with and without filters


ARB tow strap


All above Mods and fitting: Rs. 40,100/-