[abhikb]

Originally Posted by Kottayamkaran

I would suggest you to get innova captain seats. That would be more comfy i believe.

Yes I agree with you, however, Innova captain seats are in huge demand and that’s why it comes at a higher price also. On the contrary Thar CRDe front seats are rarely retained by the owners and most of them swap with Innova/Scorpio seats. Hence, getting hold of a pair of Thar CRDe front seats is relatively easier and cheaper. Let’s see unlike the new Thar getting into the CRDe from the front seats is bit of a task hence, need to keep a space between the two captain seats at the rear so that the same can be used for ingress/egress.

[abhikb]

Photologue Update:

Have nothing much to do these days while being confined in a room due to this virus, the Thar is also parked since 2nd April evening, apart from couple of doctor visits it has remained parked in the garage. Hence, thought of updating the thread with few photographs that I have clicked of my Jeep over the course of ownership:

[abhikb]

This pandemic has certainly changed the way we used to live pre- 2020. I mean I can’t remember the last time I had moved out without a mask or a sanitizer. This situation is certainly going to be the new normal for God knows how long. Anyways, this doesn’t bound our beauties to go for a required change. Hence, I removed the Front insect mesh which was installed when I took the delivery in 2019.

Removing the insect mesh was a pretty easy task, it’s a clamped arrangement which holds up the front slat and remains intact. Quite an easy DIY thing to fix it up and remove when required.



Easy to fix and easy to remove




Dusty condition after removal of the insect mesh, guess some dust still sleeps inside even after having the mesh.




The mesh after removal, notice the clamps used for fixing the mesh.




The classic CJ5 front look after removing the mesh.

If you would have gone through the earlier posts on this thread, I had tested covid positive earlier in April followed with my wife testing positive 15 days later. For my and follower with my wife’s doctor visits I had been using the Thar to commute and no one else from the family was allowed to use it for safety purpose.

Yesterday after the doctors visit, I decided to get the cabin sanitized at a Shell outlet. They use a aerosol type solution which is blown into the vents through the suction point below the dashboard and thereby further getting blown into the cabin.

Doing this process also gave me a chance to check for any leakages from soft top or the windshield rubber beading since the cabin is completely blown with the smoke sanitizer. It’s been almost a year since I got the soft top done and luckily couldn’t find a single leakage from the soft top area or any other place. The only place the smoke was coming out mildly was the rear tailgate which again is expected given the raw type of hinges provided in Thar.



The aerosol solution being put into the device




Device placed near the suction point below the glove box




The cabin all fogged up




Notice the smoke seeping out of the tailgate

The Mileage update:

Well so far I haven’t elaborated on my Thar’s mileage experience, so thought why not update the same. I have been keeping a track of the FE using Mahindra’s With You Humesha app. To have better clarity and to keep a clear track of FE I take the tank full to tank full method and keep logging the details on the app.

Below are the screenshots of the mileage achieved so far with the Thar:







The highest FE logged in so far is 15.2 Kmpl on couple of occasions on a through and through highway runs. Since, last few months the daily usage has dropped a bit since my current assignments are within the city and don’t need to drive much. Yet on a complete City usage with bumper to bumper traffic and 100% AC at all times the FE remains around 12-12.5 Kmpl. I normally prefer to refill the tank at the designated or shortlisted pumps only, there are couple of IOCL and HP pumps next to my home as well as office. 90% of the time the refueling is done from those pumps only.

I have a sedate driving style and I normally drive with a light foot on the accelerator, though the slow low end torque becomes a bit of a pain at RPMs below 1600. However, on the highway runs the Thar is a breeze to drive since my driving style lets me keep it on its peak torque range which in turn requires less acceleration when overtaking or cruising at 90-100 kmph.

With the diesel prices soaring in Gujarat the overall cost per km has been Rs. 6.18 as per the app and the overall combined FE is about 12.74 Kmpl.

A few highway runs after the pandemic settles down will help in analyzing further on the FE figures. By far the last 6 months has seen the least usage of Thar i.e. around 600-700 kms a month with further downward during April as it was parked most of the time with only a few doctor visits the entire month.

I wish this pandemic situation passed away soon so that road trip lovers like us can hop on to the roads and do what they love the most.

Anyways, stay safe and stay healthy.

[KkVaidya]

Originally Posted by abhikb

The only place the smoke was coming out mildly was the rear tailgate which again is expected given the raw type of hinges provided in Thar.

Check for the vertical rubber beading located on the tailgate near the latch - make sure it is not missing when the canopy work was done as it comes out easily.

[abhikb]

Originally Posted by KkVaidya

Check for the vertical rubber beading located on the tailgate near the latch - make sure it is not missing when the canopy work was done as it comes out easily.

Hi KK Vaidya,

The rubber beading provided by the company is of pathetic quality and no matter how much I try to fix it it loosens out after opening and closing the tail gate few times.

A nitrile rubber foam will serve better IMO, however this is something that is not bothering me at all as long as I am enjoying driving the Thar.

[abhikb]

Sunday off road experience:

A proper off road outing is what every Jeeper wishes to have on a weekend, it nullifies all the stress the mind and body takes up during the entire week. However, this pandemic situation coupled with some or the other issues meant that a proper off road outing remained at bay. Ever since I got the Thar, there had been a strong itching to participate in an weekend OTR session. Luckily, I had been in regular touch with bhpian Khalil_khan who is a good friend and a seasoned off roader.

As many of you would know, the Ahmedabad was hit by the cyclone Tauktae last week where it rained like cats and dogs the entire day. For enthusiasts it’s the perfect opportunity to take out our vehicles for a small stroll. So while strolling out in the rains, Khalil and I had a telephonic conversation while both us were out in the rains, me in the Thar and him in the Gurkha. Khalil spoke to me about how he and his fellow off roading partners are planning for a off road outing in order to provide some valuable guidance and learning to amateurs who are new to the 4X4 world. Finally we decided that if the cyclone situation settles down we will go in for a off road outing on the next Sunday.

Few messages on WhatsApp groups (Teambhp
& Thar owners Gujarat) and little bit of information exchange later, we had about 7 vehicles ready for Sunday OTR of which 3 belonged to seasoned off roaders . Hence, the perfect plan was set as it would have been a first proper OTR outing for the rest 4 of us (all Thar owners).

The vehicles participating in the outing were as follows:

1) My 2019 Thar CRDe
2) 2015 Gurkha belonging to bhpian Khalil Khan
3) Another 2015 Gurkha equipped with winch.
4) Gypsy fitted with Baleno’s 1.6L engine.
5) Thar 2020, HT M Diesel.
6) Thar 2020, HT M Petrol.
7) Thar 2020, HT M Petrol.

The Convoy

So all in all we had 2 Gurkha’s, 3 Thar 2020 and lonesome Thar CRDe and a Gypsy.

The place for OTR was decided as river bed between Amrapur and Ambod which is a little ahead of capital city Gandhinagar and about 50 kms from Ahmedabad. The place is flocked by many off road enthusiasts from Ahmedabad as the river bed remains dry most of the time and the landscape in the surroundings offer a good driving experience. It was decided that we shall assemble by 6:30 am at Gandhinagar and then drive to the OTR location in a convoy.

We woke up around 5am in the morning, got ready, quickly snugged sleeping Ayona into my parents room and were ready to start from home by 6am. The roads were empty in the early morning hours and we reached the decided gathering spot by 6:45am. Almost all of the participants had gathered by then, a little bit of chit chat and formal introduction later we decided to drive towards the OTR location.

Post reaching the location a bit of Dos and Don’ts was shared by the expert off roaders. A rocky surface with couple of obstacles was picked up, the Gypsy first went on for it and got stuck over a big sized Boulder which refused to let the Gypsy go despite putting all throttles. The Gurkha with the winch came to the rescue, I must say Gurkha is an amazing vehicle it just moves over any surface without breaking a sweat and the manual locking differentials at the front and rear give it a brilliant edge in many off road situations. After few minutes of tying up the sling and shackles the Gurkha effortlessly pulled out the Gypsy. Post Gypsy, it was Khalil’s turn to take the obstacle with his Gurkha which had just got a brand new front differentials and was due to be tested off road. Unfortunately, the Gurkha also got stuck on the same Boulder not because it couldn’t cross over but because the front differentials were not engaging properly. Anyways, being at the hands of a seasoned off roader it was out in a couple of minutes.

Next came my turn to take on the obstacle, the experts advised to put the Thar in 4L and let it crawl over the obstacle, only when the rear locking differential is required to be engaged accelerator input is requested.

As can be seen in the above pics, my Thar made it out of the obstacle without breaking a sweat, yes of course over the big sized boulder which gave a tough time to few, I also required a bit of forward and reverse movements coupled with accelerator inputs to take advantage of the rear differential locking mechanism.

Next up were the new Thar 2020, initially the owners were little jittery due to low radiator position in the new Thar but then when you have expert off roaders working as a spotter you don’t need to worry much. The diesel Thar was the first to take on the obstacle and got stucked at the same location where the Gypsy had got stuck earlier, it was again time for the Gurkha to pull the Thar 2020 out. Within minutes the job was done and it was time for the remaining two petrol Thars to take on the obstacle. Since the owners didn’t want to take a chance with their new Thars, they took a relatively easy path, though it also required 4L to negotiate but they made it without a fuss.

One thing we noticed is, upon accelerating Thar CRDe and the Gurkhas scream their clatters out whereas the new Thar petrol as well as diesel is relatively much silent and refined.

Post completing this obstacle, it was time for some cruising on the sea bed and then into the jungle and finally onto the tarmac. Basically from the river bed at Amrapur to the tarmac at Ambod. All of the cars moved sequentially in convoy style and it was dust, dust and more dust all around while we moved. As it had rained for couple of days due to the cyclone, the surrounding into the jungle had lush green landscapes which was a good treat to beat the heat.

It took us about 30 minutes drive from our location to reach Ambod, the last few meters of the trail had a steep incline with loose sand. The Gypsy was the first in line which went through, but Khalil’s Gurkha had its rear stuck in the ditch as the loose sand had slipped due to the vehicles weight. the rear differentials were not engaging properly which made it difficult for the Gurkha to get out. This time again the second Gurkha moved ahead with one set of tyres on a huge heap of sand and other set on the flat surface beside the stuck Gurkha and made to the top, in a few minutes it pulled out the stuck Gurkha using a sling shackle.

Next up was the Thar 2020 mstallion which negotiated the path easily. It was my turn to tackle the path, a similar situation happened in line with what happens to Khalil’s Gurkha while I was negotiating the path. The sand bogeyed down a bit more and the rear wheel was into it loosing all the traction, I put the Thar in 4L and accelerated a bit which made the rear diff locks kicked in and the Thar was out in a few seconds. However, similar issue happened a little further with the sand further bogeyed down making front left wheel loose traction. Unlike the new Thar mine doesn’t get a brake locking differential at the front, hence had to reverse a bit and then at slight throttle it swamped up.

The remaining two Thar 2020 made out with minor tweaking here and there. By this time it was 10am on the clock, so we decided to have some refreshments and start our drive back home.

Overall it was an amazing experience, I learnt a lot many things about my Thar and how it behaved in different conditions. Off-roading is an art which cannot be mastered in a day and never become over enthusiastic in trying an obstacle else you will end up breaking your vehicle which will eventually burn a big hole in your pocket.

[abhikb]

Few videos of the weekend OTR:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc1ccx8imjo

Thar 700 taking on the rocky surface

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CA4682ECOoI

Force Gurkha taking the same obstacle

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm8HFG-hCWQ

Force Gurkha towing Thar 2020

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n48qgVGtKtM

Jungle trail

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sbR_QwEFgF4

Force Gurkha trying to make its way out of the bogeyed sand

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=01HvqdrTQuI

Thar 700 getting stuck and making its way out

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qkQW8p1nJbM

Thar 2020 Mstallion making its way out with ease

[abhikb]

It finally rained in Ahmedabad giving much needed respite from the scorching summers. Also took this opportunity to take the Thar out for a monsoon drive, did a good 70 kms drive into the nearby countryside. It rained moderately during the drive and weather outside was pristine. The ODO stands at 25,2xx Kms over a period of 22 months of ownership.

[abhikb]

260 Kms Highway Drive and OTR excursion:

Almost 6 months later, we did a highway run in The Thar. The Off-road club of Gujarat (OCG) had organized a meetup near Vadodara last Sunday, this proved to be a much needed occasion to go on a highway run. This time I was accompanied by my wife and our 20 months old daughter Ayona.

The Thar yet again shone on its excellent highway cruising ability, did a consistent 80-100 Km/Hr speeds all along, it returned a decent mileage of 15 Kmpl on the highway run. As much as I love the way Thar CRDe pulls on high speeds, I hate the way it moves sluggishly in city driving due to slow low end torque. Need to do a solution to it badly as at times it gets on my nerves, I don’t have a pedal to floor type driving style rather I prefer driving with a light foot.

Coming back to the OTR, it was organized on the river bed of Mahi river and there were about 15 cars ranging right from bone stock Gypsy to the Jeep Wrangler. The route went through the narrow country side roads and the lush green surrounding (post monsoon effect), Bhpian Khalil_Khan did the spotter’s work for the obstacles that I went through. It was a good couple of hours of fun OTR fun with these many enthusiasts. By 6:45 PM we started our journey back home, Ayona was enjoying every bit of the time seeing off road enthusiasts jumping their machines off the dunes, listening to me and Bhpian Khalil_Khan speak the word off road a few times she also started saying “off-off” whenever a car would do something crazy in her eyesight. It was a delight seeing our little one enjoying the surrounding that we were in. The return journey was a good 2.5 hours drive, we took the old NH48 highway instead of the expressway (NE-1).

Next morning surprise:

So the next day, I was preparing to leave for work and noticed that the Canopy has teared a little on rear left side. It might have been done by some miscreants and didn’t come to my notice the previous night.

Got it repaired by doing a desi jugaad from a local vendor, fixed a canvass piece over the teared part using adhesive, let’s see how long it sustains. With the monsoon season going on it was necessary to have it fixed else a downpour would lead to seepage and rusting.

In the exactly 1 months time from now, Thar will complete 2 years of ownership . The 1st year it had clocked 14k Kms and this year so far it has clocked another 12k kms, due to COVID issue in both the years Thar has clocked less Kms than my usual mileage of 18-20 thousand kms a year in my other cars.

Few photos from the OTR

[abhikb]

Weekend monsoon drive:

No outstation trips but weekend drives around the town exploring nature spots provide some respite from the routine life, this Sunday we ended up reaching Thol bird sanctuary through a village and then followed with a jungle trail. A good 2-3 hours spent during the Sunday evening, also had the company of a friend who was driving in his Thar 2020, Petrol AT.

25 days to go from today for my Thars 2nd birthday.

[abhikb]

Rear Seat Upgrade:

If you would have gone through the earlier posts on this thread, you would know that I had made a temporary arrangement by adding an additional seat between the rear bench seats to convert it into a bed when required. This arrangement had served pretty well as it came handy while traveling with our daughter Ayona, the rear bed type arrangement gave her enough room to do her chores (eat, sleep,repeat) while traveling. As she is growing up we need to have a proper safety arrangement for her while traveling, plus very few people preferred to seat at the rear bench seats and was always a trouble if I had couple of adults during the drive.

After much research I zeroed in on having 2 bucket seats at the rear which again had to be placed in such a manner that the passengers can get in and out using the gap between the bucket seats. Since, in Thar CRDe the access cannot be made like the one in new Thar 2020, the suggested solution seemed the most apt. The next step came which seats to install, we had a few options such as going for bucket seats from Innova, Scorpio and Thar CRDe front seats. Of the mentioned options the Innova bucket seats seemed to be the most apt one, I knew the access from the rear is going to be troublesome hence once seated the rear passenger needed to be comfortable.

With the plan in place, I approached the vendor who had earlier done the Semi hardtop job for my Thar, he confirmed on having a Innova bucket seats available and quoted the price. I negotiated with them and got the pricing finalized at 14k. My requirements were pretty clear which are listed below:

1) The seats should be placed such a manner that the rear passengers have sufficient head room available plus once seated there should be a clear view through the side glasses. (Wheel arch was cut down by 5 inches for the same).
2) There should be atleast 8-10 inches of space behind the seats so that the speakers can be stuffed and 2-3 duffel bags while traveling.
3) The seats must have sliders so that the rear space can be adjusted for more luggage in case of a shorter passenger seating.
4) Arm rests, since the Thar has quite a bit of side to side movement over potholes and bumps at slow speeds, the passengers could get thrown up.
5) Lastly but most importantly seat belts, my requirement was pretty clear if not a 3 point seatbelt, I atleast wanted to have the 2 point seatbelt.

All of the above were agreed by the vendor and the the entire installation was done in 3 days time. The Innova seats have really turned out to be very comfy on long drive, last Sunday my mother and wife were seated at the back for about 3 hours and none of them complained a bit and rather gave a positive feedback. A day later a friend also sat during a 80 kms drive and didn’t complain at all. Get in and out is a task but once seated the comfort level is pretty good.

Below are the photographs after the installation, leg room is demonstrated for my height (6’1”) with the front seat pulled back completely :

[abhikb]

July has been pretty busy with the Thar, the ODO has hit 2000 Kms in a single month after a long time, with this it also covered 27000 Kms. Last 4 Sunday’s has been pretty busy with back to back outings, OTRs and 500 Kms round trip to Mandan.

Link to Tlog: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ml#post5113872 (4 Thars & a Monsoon drive to Mandan)

The FE has been hovering around 12 Kmpl with a mix of Highway runs, City driving and off road trail driving. In another 7 days time, Thar will complete 2 years.

The highway cruising is superbly brilliant of Thar CRDe it just moves without a fuss be it cruising at 90-100 kmph for hours together or a quick overtake with a slight tap of the accelerator. The FE has taken a hit by 2 kmpl in last couple of months probably as it’s nearing the 30,000 Kms service.

Regarding the Innova rear seats, I had 2 passengers seating at the rear during the trip to Mandan, as much as it’s difficult to get in and out it is equally comfortable to seat in. However, the comfort level is confined to shorter people below 5’7” height, taller people will not find it comfortable seating for the entire day.

[Aceyadu]

Hi Abhikb, nice thread you have put up here. I am also currently located at Ahmedabad. I think I have passed by your thar on a few occasions near thaltej gurudwara. I am in a 1st gen facelift black thar. Hope to catch up with you in the meanwhile.

[abhikb]

Originally Posted by Aceyadu

Hi Abhikb, nice thread you have put up here. I am also currently located at Ahmedabad. I think I have passed by your thar on a few occasions near thaltej gurudwara. I am in a 1st gen facelift black thar. Hope to catch up with you in the meanwhile.

Hi Aceyadu,

Quite a Creative name for your Teambhp handle Ace-One who wipes the enemy single handedly
Yadu- A king

Good to see you here, If I am not mistaken you drive a black Thar with a KL registration and yours has the canvas soft top with a SA roll bar. Just like ladies notice closely what the one is wearing we Jeepers notice what the other one is carrying

Secondly, the GJ bhpians have an active WA group, plus there’s one more we have formed with all the Thar owners in Gujarat. If you are comfortable to join there just drop me your contact number on my email (abhikabanerjee@gmail.com)

[abhikb]

2 Years and 27,440 Kms later:

The Thar has completed 2 years of ownership and what a journey it has been so far. Even though the Highway runs have been limited due to COVID-19 creating a ruckus in our lives, the Thar has taken us to places we could have never imagined or thought off doing in any other vehicle.

KMS completed in 1st Year: 14,044 Kms
KMS completed in 2nd Year: 13,396 Kms

The distance covered in both the years has been more or less the same since the usage pattern has also remained same, in both the years Thar was unused for 2 months due to COVID lockdown. Only major difference is during 1st year of ownership I didn’t risk taking the Thar for Off road whereas in the 2nd year it has been to OTR events frequently.

Maintenance:

The Maintenance cost has been decent so far around around Rs.0.5 per Km. The routine servicing and all repairs have been done at Mahindra ASS only.



Fuel Efficiency:

If driven sedately Thar can give higher FE, I get around 14-15 Kmpl on Highway and 11-12 Kmpl in city usage with full AC all the time. Overall FE is around 13 Kmpl. However, the rising fuel prices have doubled the monthly fuel bills and is burning a deep hole in the pocket.

Modifications done till date:

1) Semi hardtop.
2) Sony XAV-3000 ICE system with JBL 3 way coaxial speakers.
3) Diamond cut upholstery design.
4) Auxiliary lights below the windshield.
5) Central locking.
6) Rear bucket seats from Innova.
7) Non oven interior carpet lining.
8) Back rest cushion and base cushion for aiding driving comfort.

Cost of Mods: 1.01 Lakhs.

By far it has been a satisfying journey with this beauty, all I can is the love for Thar grows on you slowly and steadily. It does it’s duty as per the requirement since it’s my daily drive as well as used to weekend off roading and highway drives. I intend to keep the Thar with me as long as any new law compels it to get scrapped, probably to pass on to my little one once she grows up and she is fond of it very much, calls it Heep (Jeep) whenever she sees it or we drive her in it.

How I feel about the Thar? Just go through the below snap