[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by aniketi

Better sell it as a 2 seater only then. Access to those seats is very tough, nightmare for elderly people. If after so much R&D, they can't give us proper seating is not at all good for me and customers.

All the so called 7-8 seaters like Ertiga, Innova, Fortuner etc have third row access this way - mostly in a much more cramped fashion. Now should those have only two rows then, sold as 5 seater?

Originally Posted by aniketi

It's a shame on Mahindra that they couldn't make it proper 4-5 seater car.

The current Thar is designed to be a 2-door just as it's predecessor. Period. Why blame R&D for expecting something from a vehicle which it isn't even designed for?

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

All the so called 7-8 seaters like Ertiga, Innova, Fortuner etc have third row access this way - mostly in a much more cramped fashion.

The seats in the cars mentioned above fold in a way giving much more room to get in. But then as you mentioned the Thar was never a car for more than 2 people, it always felt like a compromise for the additional passengers! In that respect this iteration especially the forward facing seats are definitely better than before’s side facing ones.

Also I don’t believe anyone should buy this car to ferry elders or saree clad women. This should be a 2nd or 3rd car in the stable for the occasional fun and experience of driving a proper JEEP.

[manjunathkl]

Kudos to Mahindra. What a smashing update to an iconic brand. It is a fitting tribute to Mahindra's Jeep legacy.

All Japanese carmakers (including Maruti Suzuki specially) must learn how to meaningfully update a successful product from Mahindra. Seriously this is ALL NEW in real sense. Not just head-light, tail light, alloys and bumper refresh. First Jawa bikes and now Thar. The design team has burnt the mid-night oil for sure. Engineering team has brought that beautiful design to life. I'm just in love with both.

What is impressive is - compact 4x4 buyers don't have much choice in the market. Still Mahindra didn't take it lightly and brought in a gigantic upgrade at a sensible price (hopefully).

It is one sexy automobile - simply unparalleled. This Thar can become much more mainstream than the prev-gen Thar for sure.

[amol4184]

Its amazing how "first ride review" touches almost all the important bits that most people including me have been waiting for. This is as good as a proper review to me. I believe this review will be one of the most popular and long running one on tbhp for years to come (unless Gymny launches at good price)

With that said, I would wait for 5 door version. The Wrangler in 5D config looks stunning and IMO better than 3D version. No reason 5D Thar to look any worse than 3D version. They anyway have Wrangler vibe going on, a full metal hard top in body color for 5D would be incredible. Fingers crossed.

[justwheels]

Great review as always, TBHP style. One of the better ones floating around the internet period!

And thanks for one of the better views of the boot. For people like me who will be attempting a leap of faith for becoming a Jeeper with Thar as the only vehicle in the garage, such crisp reviews and detailed pics are very important.

And for the 5 door variant, Autocar reports it will be with completely new body panels etc. which means a few years of development again. A few years is not what I have, so may be a leap of faith. Let's see.. another 10 days.

[TAHR]

Thanks GTO for a really crisp review, with some sage advice for potential converts. Not everyday that one comes across views that are part fanboy and part objective reviewer

The brutally honest ride & handling feedback is especially critical for those used to the plush ride of modern hatchbacks, sedans and crossovers, but aspiring for a jeep-like vehicle for family use, purely based on the bold image.

Any of the other features can be decided based on virtual preferences but one needs to actually experience the drive on a true-blue off-roader for the reality to sink in.

So, in that sense, this review was spot-on as it will hopefully temper expectations and push potential buyers to evaluate and see if they could actually live with it.

[Saurav_Nair]

The top bid for the Thar #1 is now standing at a whopping ₹81L.

At this rate, I won't be surprised if it touches the ₹1Cr mark.
I am honestly surprised to see such enthusiasm from our fellow Indians for the serial #1. I think it may land up as a collector's item, an item that will be cherished by the owner.

Link for following the auction
https://auction.carandbike.com/home/auction

[Slipstream11]

An interesting fuel economy drive posted by 91wheels on Youtube claims a FE of 16.94 kmpl. This is on the LX diesel manual over a highway run of 190 odd clicks at speeds of 80-90 kmph with AC.

AFE on the MID showed 19.6 kmpl.

[niruvrs9669]

@GTO, Thanks for such a brutally honest review, this helps a lot of auto enthusiasts to conclude on expectation vs reality. If there's one takeaway from this M&M campaign, it's their kick ass digital marketing strategy and that "buzz" till 'The Birthday' .

The auction beats me, if it's for real ! I would have certainly jumped out of the auction the minute the bid crossed Rs.20 lacs.

Now the feeling from my heart here;
1) Its a blatant copy of JEEP Wrangler, not a product built right with original thought or creativity. Is it an ethical act ? To me, it isn't.
2) I also feel this M&M stunt will help Wrangler gain decent sales momentum in the months to come. Thar, 2 or 4 door, petrol or diesel, AT or MT, is now off my list !

[Axe77]

Incredibly informative for a first ride report. I have learned crucial things here that many detailed reviews have not revealed until now.

Its truly a disappointing state of affairs of auto journalism that vehicles are reviewed as if driven by overawed children in a candy store.

Notably, more granular insight into the drivability of the petrol AT, a true perspective of NVH, the ICE unit (speakers), actual insight into fuel efficiency in different scenarios and many more practical aspects.

Cannot wait for the full TBHP review now and also seeing the car personally. I am living out of Pune at the moment and the Mahindra showroom is literally a km down from my home here.

[AVL500]

Anyone who ever had an offroader on his wishlist but somehow just couldn't accept the package what outgoing Thar\Gypsy\Gurkha have been can go for the new Thar eyes closed. It appears to be a much more acceptable package now in terms of interiors, safety, comes with a factory fitted hardtop and can very easily be used as a daily driver\primary vehicle IMHO. I really dislike it when people mark down Thar on those points which even from the drawing board were never meant to be its strong points. If anyone is expecting sedan like handling and performance and comparing it against those benchmarks, then this is a wrong place to be to begin with. Those who buy Thar as secondary vehicle would anyways buy it no matter what, but those of us who want to buy it as primary\only vehicle can also do so now with few very manageable compromises.

[parrys]

Originally Posted by AVL500

Anyone who ever had an offroader on his wishlist but somehow just couldn't accept the package what outgoing Thar\Gypsy\Gurkha have been can go for the new Thar eyes closed. It appears to be a much more acceptable package now in terms of interiors, safety, comes with a factory fitted hardtop and can very easily be used as a daily driver\primary vehicle IMHO.

I totally agree. The only other car I would compare with the new Thar is the old Thar, Force Gurkha and the Gypsy. And in that comparison, it has improved dramatically. I used my 2015 Thar CRDe 4x4 as my daily driver. I drove it in city traffic (Saki Naka to my office and Mumbai chaps know very well about the traffic situation there) and had no problems using it given that I had bought the car accepting its pros and cons. The new one, is much, much better. I have driven it now for more than 200-250 odd kms so far.

The Thar is an acquired taste.
I bought one, and sold it because of a few problems. I know the new one might have a few niggles. But I will not deny the fact that I want to buy one again. If it happens, it would be the diesel AT convertible top in a shade of grey.

I really dislike it when people mark down Thar on those points which even from the drawing board were never meant to be its strong points. If anyone is expecting sedan like handling and performance and comparing it against those benchmarks, then this is a wrong place to be to begin with. Those who buy Thar as secondary vehicle would anyways buy it no matter what, but those of us who want to buy it as primary\only vehicle can also do so now with few very manageable compromises.

Me too, it seems like criticism has become the new cool. The Thar is not a car for all. And those who are not even considering buying one have a lot to say on the negative side of the scale. Those who want it, WILL BUY IT. And they will appreciate all that has changed = improved.

PEACE

[fjcruiser08]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

A few small and large duffle bags, laptop bag, handbags, jack fruits..etc.. and see how many fit in there and show us a view/count.

Am all for piling up jackfruits in the trunk and see how may fit! Seriously though, it’d be great to see some standard size luggage items stacked up in there. The boot space doesn’t look as tiny as it initially seemed from the preview videos. If it can hold two carry-on size bags and some smaller items on top, and a jackfruit or two, we are in for a treat!

[4x4addict]

@GTO, thanks for a good first drive report. Just curious what was the mileage showing on the MID. I understand the FE figues of TD vehicles are usually lower, but still, want to know the worst case scenario.

[MalluDude]

Excellent first drive report of a vehicle that can potentially be a game changer for Mahindra. There is virtually no competition at this segment and they have to do something really silly to lose this game.
I don't know a vehicle that has generated such a big buzz online in recent memory - clearly many people have already set their minds on this as their next vehicle.

Rather than looking at 4-5 seater options and long wheel base models, Mahindra should be purely concentrating in delivery a niggle-free product in it's current form.

Petrol 4x4 AT will be having a really niche customer base, but Mahindra should continue with this as people are slowly moving away from diesels.