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My 2021 Mahindra Thar: Ownership review and modifications

13th January 2022, 14:05 by Dev Shah

I had a trust that the new Thar will be a game changer and I had a strong reason to believe that.

BHPian MithunSathianat recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi All,

I have been thinking to pen down my initial ownership experience with my new Thar since few months but reserved the same as I was slowly and constantly customizing the SUV according to my taste and needs.
I will try to update this thread at least on a monthly basis.

Background:

I had a pre-worshipped Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI which I let it go in 2017 as I had to travel abroad for work. I still admire the build quality and drive-ability of the Octavia. The only sore thing was maintenance and spare parts were expensive. I returned back by the end of 2018 and was in search of new Compact SUV/ True blue SUV and started the test drive saga.

Criteria:

Should be an automatic (not AMT) - Heavy clutch of the Octavia used to make my leg tired after long drives in bumper to bumper traffic. Hence a proper automatic was the primary need.
Good ground clearance - To evade through water logged roads in Kerala during monsoons.

Good to have:

All wheel drive/ Four wheel drive - As a person who learnt driving on a Mahindra CJ500 'jeep', the love for jeeps was always there in me.

Vehicles considered:

Please note I am not an expert by any means and below observations are just my opinions.

Jeep Compass 1.4 Multi-Air petrol automatic:

I was really impressed with the build quality of this one. The suspension set up felt top notch. But there was immense lag between the transmission and engine. I was expecting a Volkswagen Polo GT TSI kind of dual clutch transmission as the Compass was also making use of the dual clutch (DDCT). It was out after the two test drives.

Jeep Compass 2.0 diesel automatic:

Impressed with the build quality and safety, I asked the Jeep dealer to call me once the diesel automatic is launched. They were proactive enough and bought an automatic immediately after the launch. Compass is a nice product, the automatic gear box is the weakest link, I felt. But overall I was happy as it had the 4X4 hardware and informed the dealer that I shall get back. The top variants were way out of my budget though.

Tata Harrier automatic:

I was very reluctant towards a Tata product as our first car was an Indica V2. I wanted something new. I had rented a self drive Nexon for one of my trip and I liked it. Hence thought to check out Harrier too. I came out very pleasant after the test drive. Engine-gear box combo was very smooth. Loads of space and a value for money compared to Jeep Compass. Most of the issues from version 1 was also sorted. Hence I decided that I will book Harrier XZA or XZA+ even though it did not have AWD/ 4X4.

Kia Seltos:

Vast variety of automatics drove me towards Kia. I had placed an advance booking before the launch date as there were rumors that it will have a DCT automatic and AWD. Somehow after the test drive, I felt build quality it not up to my expectations. But Seltos amused me on the list of features that a new entrant can offer. Also, the driving experience of 1.4 GTdi was thrilling. But I felt the price tag of top variants were not justified. Taken multiple test drives to finally arrive at a decision. Finally cancelled the booking and received the refund. Overall KIA experience was nice.

MG Hector:

Only DCT petrol was available at that point in time. I was not impressed after test drive.

All new Thar:

There were scoops that new Thar would be launched with all new engines and automatic gearboxes. I had a trust that the new Thar will be a game changer and I had a strong reason to believe that. My Dad had purchased the first lot of Mahindra XUV300 Diesel top end and it is a wonderful product packed with features for comfort and safety. Even though there were minor niggles, Mahindra was proactive to sort out all those issues. Already having a good experience with Mahindra service, I decided to wait for the new Thar. Also I had got few contacts in Mahindra by that time. The new Thar was launched in October, but I decided to book only after a test drive. I patiently waited for the test drive and received the same during second week of November. I was impressed after the test drive as I know what to expect from a 4-wheel drive ladder frame vehicle. I took few more test drives along with my wife in the same week with some minor off-road. Wife was also happy with the test drives. Love towards the jeep made me to let go Harrier. Placed the booking online for LX Diesel Automatic HT Black and I knew it will be a long wait and I was ready for it. I got a call in March mentioning that a same variant is available but in grey color. I informed I am fine with grey and asked for PDI before making the payment. PDI went well and the amount was transferred and delivery was planned for April first week. Booked a fancy number by then. Insurance was purchased online. Registration formalities were done by the dealer. The dealer experience was also good. Got my Thar in first week of April and now it is 7k on the odo. We have a very detailed Team BHP review on the forum. So I will not repeat those here, but pen down my experience here.

Pics from the PDI:

My likes:

Competent Diesel engine mated to an excellent torque converter automatic.
The tall driving stance.
Off-road capability - I have put my Thar to test in toughest terrains of Kerala especially in some areas of Vagamon, Wayanad, Munnar. It has come out with flying colors. I know what this machine is capable of.
Build quality with 4 star GNCAP rating.
Infinite mods possible.

My dislikes:

No fuel cap open switch on the inside.
Rear passenger egress - No grab handle.
Android auto disconnects frequently and is too slow at times.

Issues/ niggles:

I was expecting some niggles initially as its a freshly baked product and has similar experience with XUV300.
Windshield fogging: Took it to service center twice, issue is reduced but no complete solution from Mahindra yet. Hence I kept sticky mats on dash which covers the air vents:

Front tyre rubbing against stabilizer bar: This happens during full left/right turn. Service center could reduce the issue, but not fully resolved:

Broken AC vents: Replaced under warranty.
Front drive shaft rubber boot damaged: Not sure how this got damaged, could be during off-roading. I am waiting from Mahindra on their response whether this can be covered under warranty. Service center need to order it and it may take a week to arrive:

Service Actions:

Hood latch assembly replacement.
Horn replacement.

Mods done:

Wrangler JL style front grille.
.Bi-xenon projector fog lamps (Please read more here on this DIY.
Headlight relay and philips 90/100w bulb.
Full under body protection including DEF Tank using aircraft grade aluminum from ARKA:

Front (seat bolstered) and rear arm rest:

3M CR-70 sun control film with 70% visibility and Noodle mats for the floor.
Audio upgrade with Audison Prima Components for the front and JL Audio C1 components for the roof along with a Sony 4 channel amplifier and Sony under seat active subwoofer
Hella 470 Pencil Beam.
70mai dual channel dash camera:

Cushioning on panels near AC:

Dr.Nano 12000lbs winch integrated to stock bumper:

Even though Mahindra offered Bushranger winch as official accessory, none of the dealer had experience in installing it. One of the Chennai dealer who has done it installed on top of the stock bumper which looked over done to me. I wanted a clean install keeping the stock bumper. Moreover Bushranger was expensive. In one of the official Mahindra videos, the winch was installed in an after market bumper and in the video disclaimer, Mahindra mentioned to remove winch and bumper after the use, which is not practically possible. I started looking for other brands like Warn, Superwinch, Come-up and other Indian brands like Dr.Nano and AMX. I wanted synthetic rope one with hawse fairlead. Warn was out of stock with all dealers and import fees was almost the same as product price. Hence chose the Dr.Nano one and got it plonked in the stock bumper with a custom winch plate. I am not a fan of after market bumpers.

Within this short time frame, this true blue SUV has given me many good experiences and memories and I hope that will continue during my ownership. The Thar is teaching me constantly which helps me improving my off-road and on-road skills.

If there would be another purchase it would be another Thar, may be petrol automatic or Force Gurkha (hope Force launches an automatic soon).

Posting few parting pics: