The Sweet and Sour Story of Mahindra Thar

As you might remember, the domestic automobile manufacturer, Mahindra and Mahindra, introduced the second-generation Thar in the Indian market in 2020. The company saw remarkable sales growth as compared to its first-generation which came in 2010. 

Furthermore, you might have come across the buzz of the Mahindra Thar 5-door, as well. It surely is one of the most anticipated SUVs among the Indian patrons. Speaking of which, the indigenous carmaker hasn’t announced its official launch date, but it will be seen on the tarmac very soon.  

Now, keeping the facts aside, I’ll delve into my personal experience with the Mahindra Thar 3-door. So, here it goes.

Mahindra Thar’s Performance

On the specifications front, my 2022 Mahindra Thar powers all wheels via a meaty mStallion 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit, which is tuned to churn out 150 hp and 320 Nm of torque.

The moment I used to put my right foot down, the Thar was capable enough to put an instant smile on my face.

Plus, I rarely used the 4x4 drive mode. But whenever required, the 4x4 mode used to come in handy, be it getting out of the mud or driving off-road. The homegrown off-roader did it all without breaking a sweat. In addition, the stock tyres did the job very well on all terrains, which means you won’t have to upsize your tyres, unless you are an aesthetic-oriented individual.  

The six-speed manual transmission felt buttery smooth to me. I could up and down shift easily without any problem. 

However, the mileage was something that made my eyes watery. If you are a mileage-oriented driver, then you shouldn’t consider an off-roader, unless you want an off-roader as your second or third car.  

The Tit-Bits

Mahindra Thar scored 4 out of 5 stars in Global NCAP crash testing, which is quite impressive. The plastic hardtop roof is also a negative in my opinion because it requires regular polishing otherwise discoloration begins from Black to weird-looking Gray, if not maintained.

Apart from that, the Mahindra Thar also has storage issues; the boot space is very limited, rated at 80 liters(with rear rows up). Plus, there is one bottle holder on each door, two cup holders in the center console, and a small lockable glove box. 

Mahindra should have at least provided a better-sized door compartment, two charging ports, and an armrest for rear passengers.

As for the lighting, the Mahindra Thar is equipped with LED DRLs and LED tail lamps, whereas indicators and headlamps are still halogen.

Thar gets a 7-inch infotainment screen that shows vehicle information such as TPMS, mileage, and off-road data, to name a few.

Wired Android Auto and Apple Carplay connectivities are also there. There is also a six-speaker music system which isn’t something fancy but you won’t complain either. 

I expect Mahindra and Mahindra to provide improved boot space, a bigger touch screen, and a better music system in the upcoming 5-door Thar.

Ride-Quality

As the name suggests, the Thar 3-door has two doors at the front and the third door is at the rear for boot access.

Both the front seats offer great comfort but the rear seats aren’t suited for long journeys, as they are positioned in an upright manner.

The rear-row seats have compromised legroom, plus they lack under-thigh support, as well as lumbar support, and as mentioned earlier, they lack an armrest.

Every other aspect of comfort is missing from the rear-row seats. We used to treat the Thar as a two-seater only, nobody from our friends and family ever liked sitting in the rear row for more than a 15 to 20-minute ride. I hope we see an improved rear-seat experience in the upcoming 5-door Thar.

Mahindra’s After-Sales

We have heard sweet and sour stories about Mahindra’s after-sales support but my personal experience has always been great.

Whenever we had any issues with the car, Mahindra fixed it. 

The service and maintenance cost was also very reasonable considering the price, size, and segment of the car. We paid 4700 rs for its 10,000 kms service which is affordable for a 4x4 body-on-frame SUV. 

Popularity and Desirability

The Mahindra Thar is a very popular and iconic vehicle in India. Whenever we used to go somewhere in this homegrown off-roader, people used to notice. I would say that this vehicle carries a ‘head-turner’ tag. 

One day we were stuck at a railway crossing and a few teenagers came and asked if they could click pictures with the Thar to which we replied; go ahead, and they happily kept clicking pictures for a few minutes until the train passed and the railway crossing was opened for us to proceed.

Conclusion

Mahindra Thar 4x4 is one of the best-selling vehicles in the country. Some buyers either buy it for its imposing looks and road presence, or they buy it for off-roading purposes, especially those who are into rally racing or are frequent travellers.