[gopzdoc]

Booked my LX diesel automatic hard top yesterday in Rocky beige.

I was one of the first owners of the original thar in Kerala way back in 2011 ( incidentally that thar was also Rocky beige). The new thar cannot be compared in any way to the new one in my humble opinion. I'm buying the new thar basically as a daily driver for my wife who's more comfortable with high driving position cars. And also the thar is a sub 4 meter vehicle without the rear mounted spare tyre.

There was a dilemma for some time in mind about the petrol automatic vs diesel automatic. As per my calculation, the petrol automatic is not going to give more than 8kmpl under normal driving conditions and the diesel will give around 12kmpl. Considering the monthly running of around 1000-1500km that makes it a difference of around Rs 5000-6000 per month if the difference in price of the fuel is around Rs 5. The difference between the automatic variants is only around Rs 20000, which is negligible. IMO the petrol makes sense only in NCR.

My other option considered was the Kia Sonet diesel automatic with the TC gearbox in the GTX+ trim which was working out to Rs 12.85 lakh. The difference between that and the thar is less than a lakh, which considering the road presence is worth the price.

It's definitely not VFM by any stretch of imagination and is seriously more expensive than the out going thar by around 5lakhs. Makes it definitely a purchase to be made with the heart rather than the head!

This is going to be my second car to my 2012 4wd Toyota fortuner.

[84.monsoon]

Had a quick look at the Thar today. Zulekhia Motors has only one car that is used for both display and test drive, while India Garage had a separate display and test drive car. So after a 15 minute wait at the first dealer, where the car had gone for a test drive, I went over to India Garage and was able to check out the display car. It was an LX Diesel Manual Hardtop in Black.

Few observations:

• This car is REALLY imposing, even in the neutral black color. I think it is going to look stunning in Red and Copper shades.
• Paint quality is better than I have seen traditionally in Mahindra cars.
• The 18" alloys are simply stunning. They may not be the most comfortable, but I would never swap them for smaller alloys for comfort - they are sweet - massive and larger-than-life!
• It is quite a climb up to the cabin. The side step will alleviate this a bit for shorter and more elderly people. It is solid and can take good amount of weight. But for an older person to get in, there is nothing solid to hold on to. A solid plastic grab handle on the A pillar on the passenger side would have helped.
• Seating is comfortable for tall drivers. The front seat travel is more than sufficient for someone my height (6'2"). The seat is quite comfortable and the padding is perfect - neither too hard nor too soft. There is ample headroom even with the seat set to a higher position.
• The range of seat height adjustment is quite good as well. The lumbar support is provided for both the driver and the front seat passenger! This is not something you see even in top end variants of other mid-size SUVs.
• The portion of the door where you will keep your arm is not padded, it is fairly hard plastic and may become uncomfortable during long drives. Hopefully some after-market solution will become available for this. Also, I hope someone comes up with an after-market solution for the missing center armrest - either a storage box or an armrest that can be attached to the seat.
• The footwell is definitely narrow and will be problematic in the manual version. Since I am would get the automatic, I was not too worried, since there is sufficient space to the left of the B pedal. Footrest is sorely missed - but they could not have put one in the MT, there is just not enough space, but it could have been provided it in the AT.
• There is a bit of a protrusion from the center console into the footwell and the left knee just about touches there, it can be a minor irritant, but it was not as bad as the Harrier. By adjusting the seating position a bit more backwards, this was less of an issue for me.
• Steering Wheel is larger than other recently launched cars in this segment and the one above. Lately we have been seeing a trend of smaller steering wheels, but the Thar gets a larger one - Mahindra never went with this trend of downsizing steering wheels! It is not leather wrapped, but the material did not feel too harsh to the hands.
• The horn pad is easy to reach and so are the steering mounted controls. The steering could have got a flat bottom, the lower part of the circle is somehow appearing magnified and a flat-bottom wheel would have free up some ingress space as well.
• Interior plastic quality is not great but then that is what one would expect - it does not look bad though.
• Clutch felt soft enough but it is long travel type and the gear lever also has long throws, though it is sure slotting. The 4WD mode lever looks sweet, like a mini gear lever. I am glad Mahindra gave us this instead of a regular rotary lever like in the Compass.
• Boot space is almost non-existent, as many have already noted. It is good enough for a suitcase and large duffel bag stacked on top, but that is it!
• Ingress into the back seat is indeed a pain, but once you are there, it is not a bad place. The seat can be reclined at a number of angles and the wheel arches are covered in soft carpet which almost feels like an armrest! But of course, it would probably be a jarring ride back there.
• The front hood is heavy but not as heavy as the Compass or Harrier. The doors are also not very heavily built, but they are not tinny either.
  

All in all, I came away impressed. The Thar feels like a decent, honest product, making no pretenses about what it is and isn't. It feels well put together and built to last. Most of the issues I worried about regarding seating comfort for tall drivers are not there. Came away happy and will go for a test drive during a lean part of another day.

Price list attached. The insurance amount quoted is exorbitant (Rs. 94,491 for LX Diesel AT) and no way I would pay that much to insure a 14 lakh car! Apparently the incidental charges are also mandatory. Deliveries to start from Nov 1st but no idea about exact delivery dates per variant. Bookings can be done for Rs. 21,000 at the dealership - they apparently had about 25 bookings on the first day, which is fairly impressive in my mind.

Now seriously thinking of switching my booking for the Sonet HTK+ Diesel Auto to a That LX Diesel Auto Hard top. It is going to be about 4 lakhs more expensive, but hey, it seems well worth it!

[vellatechie]

I visited Koncept Mahindra, Gurgaon today to check out the car in flesh. The place was packed and everybody seemed really excited about the great built quality and the interiors. No social distancing whatsoever at the showroom at all.

After reading so much and watching the videos there wasn't much of a surprise left to be honest. There were just two things I hated in the car. First was the fact that people sitting in the rear cannot move the front seat to get out themselves. Secondly, apart from wheel arch there was another bump on the side which meant that while sitting in the rear, only one feet can get under the front seat. Even though it's not claustrophobic, I wouldnt want to be in the rear seat for more than 30 mins. Other than that everything seemed okay for the price. I will book Petrol LX HT MT on Monday/Tuesday once I get the test drive. Might upgrade to AT later when I am able to properly test drive that.

I was told that if I change my mind within 48hrs of booking I will get all my money back. Else there is a 2100 Rs cancellation fee.

[G-One]

Brilliantly priced, I was budgeting 15 lakhs ex showroom for AT petrol hard top. I have 1.5 lakhs left to accessorize. Probably 5 BFGoodrich AT KO2 upgrade and some interior stuff should be good.

[souvik25]

I was too excited to look at the new look of the Thar. But a couple of practical missing features disappointed me and dampened my mood to buy. The first thing I found annoying is the lacking of a rearview camera. It will make life more challenging. The second thing I found irritating was the missing storage area beneath the rear windows. Impractical for the rear- seat passengers.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Another quick perspective on the pricing -

Old Thar CRDe was 9.5 ex-showroom before getting discontinued as the 'Signature Edition' which costed 9.99 lakhs!

Considering the new Thar AX (Diesel) soft-top version which just costs 10.85 lakhs - It has all the below differentiators compared to the old Thar CRDe, for just an additional 1.35 lakhs -

• 2.2L MHawk. +++ Refinement, +15hp, + 53Nm. BS6 with DEF.
• 6 speed manual transmission.
• Dual airbags
• ABS with EBD & Brake Assist
• Multi-link rear suspension.
• Larger 245/75 R16 tyres.
• A much better interior.
• Manual Day/night IRVM.
• Tilt adjustable steering wheel.
• Manual adjustment for ORVMs.
• Rear parking sensors
• Central locking.

Infact, those who want it for less usage and don't mind the 150hp mStallion petrol - will actually be saving 15k compared to the old Thar - getting all these extra and a stonking new TGDi petrol motor.

Once again - 1.35 lakhs is a small add-on for all the additions on offer IMHO. Some of the brands like Toyota charged more than a lakh just for BS6 version of the same car and engine, whereas here Mahindra is asking a similar amount for a better car, with better BS6 engine, better gearbox, better safety and better features.

[Slipstream11]

Price list (Unnati Motors, Viman Nagar) for the members from Pune.
TD vehicles expected next week.
Thanks.

[udy]

Originally Posted by souvik25

I was too excited to look at the new look of the Thar. But a couple of practical missing features disappointed me and dampened my mood to buy. The first thing I found annoying is the lacking of a rearview camera. It will make life more challenging. The second thing I found irritating was the missing storage area beneath the rear windows. Impractical for the rear- seat passengers.

Mahindra is offering Rear View Camera and Front Parking Sensors as part of Genuine Accessories. This should make living with the Thar a little more easier.

On a side note, has anyone spoken to or can speak to the dealership on the availability of the accessories?. I am curious about the Heads Up Display they are offering and want to know what does it display?.

I am assuming only the speed of the Thar looking at the picture in the brochure, but since the Head Unit is Apple Carplay / Android Auto and Navigation enabled, turn instructions etc. would be an icing on the cake. Can anyone find out?

[PrasunBannerjee]

Official TVC showing the convertible option and mechanism

https://youtu.be/3b6sRZfy9Os

[ka_sieben]

Like many others, this dealership too has a black MT hardtop Diesel in LX. While I didn't click any pics, I was surprised that the hood didn't have any sound deadening material inside. It didn't feel as heavy as a hood as other Mahindras or Tatas - My XUV5OO definitely had a heavier hood! I'll reserve the Diesel's noise on the outside when I hear it running though.

I believe the lighter hood is for pedestrian protection (crumble zone).

[r_devakumar]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Price list attached. The insurance amount quoted is exorbitant (Rs. 94,491 for LX Diesel AT) and no way I would pay that much to insure a 14 lakh car! Apparently the incidental charges are also mandatory.

The insurance is way too high. Is that for one year or more? For the initial couple of months, I am sure every dealer will try to milk the customers with all possible charges.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Slipstream11

Price list (Unnati Motors, Viman Nagar) for the members from Pune.
TD vehicles expected next week.
Thanks.

Thanks for this. Would you know what the essential accessories are - (listed at 20k INR)?

Cheers

[Slipstream11]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Thanks for this. Would you know what the essential accessories are - (listed at 20k INR)?

Cheers

I am yet to find that out. I have just received a surprise update from the dealer asking me to come over tomorrow for the TD. I shall get the details for you. Let me know if you have any other Qs. I will try and get them addressed too.

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by PrasunBannerjee

Official TVC showing the convertible option and mechanism

https://Youtu.be/3b6sRZfy9Os

Are you really gonna sit this one out for a year or two, @GTO?

[vigneshkumar31]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Another quick perspective on the pricing -

Old Thar CRDe was 9.5 ex-showroom before getting discontinued as the 'Signature Edition' which costed 9.99 lakhs!

Exactly. This Thar needs to be seen through the right lens. Comparison with similar priced competition like the Sonets and the Seltos of the world stack things unfairly against this jeep.

The only correct comparison for 2020 Thar is the outgone model which can shed some light on relative value. The price matrix of the present lineup, is best described 'as most people expected'.

M&M have kept the variant line up from bottom to top not very linear and pull us into the showroom with actually VFM lower end variants. They reserve their profits for the fatter margins as we go north towards the top variant. They ensure that we pay a sharp premium for certain conveniences, like the convertible top etc , which few people would be interested in.

Its not the 'steal' that we should line up to bring home tomorrow neither is it 'greedy' dismissively overpriced. It is priced acceptably in line with what we thought it would be, regardless of whats its sum of parts is worth, and after what we've been served with in the recent times as sticker price for some tin cans, the Thar seems, well...acceptable.