The first-generation Thar proved divisive. Those who were used to vintage Jeeps and Gypsys admired how much more liveable it was, but there was no question that it was a crude hack job consisting of many jugaads. The only true competition it faced was the vintage Maruti Gipsy, which lacked a diesel engine, power steering, and a comfortable ride, therefore the first-generation Thar fared well. Mahindra saw the potential of a Jeep-like the Thar and went all out with its second-generation model. It is far more contemporary, more equipped, and well-finished, and it even comes with Automatics to broaden its appeal!
The Thar comes in two trim levels: AXE (Adventure Series) and LX (Lifestyle Series), each with four variants: AXE Standard, AXE, AXE (Opt), and LX. There are three roof options: a fixed soft-top, a revolutionary convertible soft-top, and a hard-top. It’s also available in 4- and 6-seater versions. In many ways, the Thar remains inferior to comparably priced sedans and crossovers. Who will be impressed by the Thar? Anyone who compares it to the previous Thar, or who owns an ancient Jeep or a Gipsy. Who will be let down by the Thar? Anyone who compares it to similarly priced C2 class sedans such as the City / Verna or crossovers such as the Creta / Seltos.
That said, there’s no denying that the 2020 Thar is a lot easier to live with than the previous model. It will significantly broaden Thar’s appeal and market. However, the Jeep is not for everyone. PLEASE TEST-DRIVE IT FOR A LONG TIME BEFORE PAYING FOR IT. PLEASE take many test drives, preferably with your family. You don’t want to wind up like so many Harley-Davidson owners, who sell their bikes at steep depreciation losses after 1 to 3 years.
Styling and Design
Full points here – the Thar is a real head-turner that exudes flair. It has the iconic, legacy look of previous Jeeps and is a Xerox clone of the Jeep Wrangler! Despite its short length, the Thar exudes personality and instantly attracts the attention of other road users. Cab drivers, bike riders, pedestrians, elderly and young – it makes no difference; this is one automobile that makes everyone happy. Other drivers respect you at intersections and yield when they see the Thar approaching in their mirrors. Interesting hues (for example, red), a well-designed hard-top, 18″ rims, and extras like LED DRLs / tail lamps make it even more appealing. The only criticism we have is with the radiator grille’s design. Fortunately, it is easily swappable for a 7-slot Jeep-style one in the aftermarket. We like how the chrome on the Thar is kept to a minimum.
Quality of construction, fit, and finish
The Thar is constructed on Mahindra’s Gen3 platform, which also serves as the foundation for the Scorpio. Its construction is sturdy and can endure offroading damage. Driving it in the city makes you feel like you’re driving a “tank”! The bonnet, doors, and tailboard are all rather heavy, and the body panels have little flex. The doors close with a decent, substantial sound (particularly in comparison to the first-generation Thar), but must be pushed hard to close. While the paint quality is good, panel gaps and the like cannot be compared to similarly priced vehicles such as the Creta. Nonetheless, the overall fit and finish are excellent and lightyears ahead of the outgoing Thar.
Tyres and Wheels
The LX model boasts stylish 18″ gunmetal alloy wheels with 255/65 Ceat tyres that appear huge and fat! The AXE Standard, AXE, and AXE (Opt) models, on the other hand, have 16″ rims with 245/75 section rubber. Some offroaders prefer smaller wheels and higher tyres on their vehicles, such as this Thar. Because of the 30 mm higher sidewall height, this type of switch will also improve ride quality.
Clearance from the ground
The Thar LX has 226 mm of unladen ground clearance, whereas the AXE has 219 mm. Forget about speed bumps and speed limits; the Thar will climb mountains. I mean this literally.
Standard and extended warranties are available.
The Thar comes with a standard warranty of three years or one lakh km. Up to the fifth year of warranty is available. We strongly suggest this warranty extension because brand-new Mahindra vehicles are prone to niggles and difficulties. We encountered two in our test vehicles, and this thread indicates that there are many more.
Maintenance
The first service (essentially a checkup) is at 1,000 kilometres. Following that, the service interval is 10,000 km.
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Safety
The Thar comes standard with 3-point seatbelts for all occupants, a very solid roll cage, airbags (but only two), ESP with rollover mitigation (kudos to Mahindra), ABS, hill-hold, hill descent control, ISOFIX child seat mounts, TPMS (very useful on and off-road), and rear parking sensors. Unfortunately, because the rearward view is so poor, a reverse camera is badly lacking (though it is available as approved equipment). The AXE versions now include snow chain provision’ for tyres! While there is no NCAP rating, Mahindra maintains that the Thar fulfils worldwide crash test safety standards.
