2021 Mahindra Thar petrol MT: Ownership review after 1 year & 9100 km

I have installed over Rs 40,000 worth of accessories on the SUV.

BHPian sid_deb recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Having spent more than a year with the Thar, time to write a brief ownership review of my Thar Petrol LX Manual.

• Time Since Purchase: 14 months
• Odometer Reading: 9100 km
• Service Completed: 1st (1K) and 2nd free service (10K)
• Niggles faced: Only one (quite surprising for the Thar)
• Overall Happiness Score: 5/5

The garage didn't quite have the space and the wallet didn't have the money for the Thar but I ended up booking one last year in June one mid-night drooling over the reviews and videos since launch. Owning a 4x4 and doing proper off-road in the hills, forests and deserts had always been on my mind. When I woke up the next day, realized that I should cancel it but heck, the waiting period was almost 9-10 months and I let it be.

Here comes the twist. Come August, I get a call from my dealer one fine morning that my vehicle has arrived and I have time till evening to confirm. Else the car will be allotted to someone else. I had not even taken a test drive of this vehicle or even evaluated other options. That said, there wasn't any competition for my requirements - it had to be a 4x4 and petrol (given the 15/10 year NGT rule) and under 20L. No other vehicle met this criterion. After an intense battle between the mind and heart, the heart ultimately won and I decided to become poorer by 15L and younger by 5-10 years to enjoy my youth (case in point: future trips)

And since then I haven't doubted my decision ever. It's been an amazing ownership experience with just one niggle faced. I was getting a "khat-khat" sound from the boot and turned out that the bolts were a bit loose. Rest, the car has been flawless to drive and hasn't disappointed ever.

I have also spent around 40K accessorizing the Thar

• 7 Slot Grille
• Wrangler Headlamps
• OEM Side Step
• 7D Car Mats
• Front Arm Rest
• 70mai Car Dash Cam

On the driving experience and performance, I would quote my trip to Zanskar-Leh-Ladakh this year in May. Drove for 3200 km in 10 days over terrains and roads which don't even exist on Google Maps. And the Thar just made it a cakewalk. The m-Stallion engine is super punchy and eager to keep going even at very high altitudes. The only thing which could have been a bit better was the ride, yes the Thar is bumpy compared to an Innova but 18-inch wheels, good Ground Clearance and indestructible suspension come at a cost. Would also like to praise the CEAT AT tires, they haven't left me disappointed even once. Zero puncture to date even after driving through Zanskar where there are no roads. Will now let some Videos do the talking instead of pictures

Short Video on the overall trip

The last point before I end this post is mileage. I have been 8.5-10 km/l in the city (except for one tankful which was utilized for a marriage procession with continuous idle) and 10-11 km/l on the highway. On the Zanskar-Leh-Ladakh circuit, the overall mileage was at 10.2 km/l even after good use of 4L on Zanskar.

I've been driving a Diesel HT since the beginning of 2021 with the odometer currently at 28k. The best fuel efficiency with sedate driving under 90kmph on highways gives me 12km/L. Bangalore traffic gives me a little above 7km/L. I'm using the full tank-to-tank method. Data recorded on the Drivvo app.

Looking at figures posted by others, I'm a little worried that mine is on the low end for a Diesel. Can someone confirm?

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