ZEEGNITION / Ishaan Rastogi
The iconic Mahindra Thar has prowled Indian roads since its introduction in 2010. It continues from a long line of retro off-roaders and is known more for its outdoor capabilities than comfort, luxury or convenience. Mahindra has always stood behind its intentions of offering customers an escape from the expansive list of mundane sedans and hatchbacks that have flooded today’s Indian automotive market. The utility vehicle manufacturers define the Thar to be a ‘true-blue cult off-roader’ which it most certainly is. Over the years, Mahindra has dominated the indigenous 4x4 market and its products can be spotted in all corners of the country, from metropolitan cities to the remotest villages. The simplicity with which its vehicles are designed and constructed enables simple fixes for problems that may arise in locations where service centres and workshops may inaccessible. The vehicles are made to be sturdy and survive anything that nature throws at them.
Being a cult car, the Thar was never expected to hold a flame to its mass market rivals in terms of sales numbers. Nevertheless, Mahindra did reveal that they sell around 10,000 units per year with about 70 percent of sales belonging to the low end Di version and the remaining 30 odd percent consisting of the city-friendly CRDe variant. This year sees Mahindra apologizing for messing with an iconic design template with the launch of the face-lifted Thar CRDe.
Nestled between lush green hills on the western edge of the Deccan plateau exists the ancient city of Nashik wherein lies Mahindra’s superb 28-acre off-roading playground. We took the new Thar for a drive through the supremely challenging track and came away suitably impressed with the entire experience. The new CRDe Thar not only tackles ditches, water bodies and boulders with aplomb, but offers passengers a much better seated experience. Mahindra has worked hard in order to create a welcoming cabin with the addition of a two tone black and beige dash, new steering wheel and a slick chrome accented 3-pod instrument cluster. The seats too are noticeably better put together. Other handy additions include air conditioning, a lockable glove box and cup holders. Despite its basic nature, the upgraded interiors of the Thar give it a significantly more upmarket feel in contrast to its original avatar. From the outside, the new Thar gets moulded bumpers, fenders and chunky wheel arches. Mahindra also claims to have redesigned the Thar’s previously unwieldy canopy but in all honesty it didn’t seem different at all.
Mechanically, the 2015 Thar is still powered by the same 2500cc CRDe engine that produces 106.5PS of power and 247Nm of torque. Basic 4x4-centric design elements such as the 200mm ground clearance, manual 4WD system with high and low ratios, 44 degree approach and 27 degree departure angles remain unchanged. What has been added is a mechanical differential lock on the rear axle which detects which wheel has more traction and distributes power accordingly ensuring that the vehicle doesn’t get stuck. The diff-lock has hugely improved the Thar’s gripping prowess in the most arduous of situations and at the track, our jeep was able to tackle some ludicrously steep inclines which were all the more challenging owing to the intermittent rain showers. At one stage, I put the Thar in low ratio 4L and let go of the clutch and accelerator and saw the car creeping up a moderate incline effortlessly. Never having been on an extreme off-roading track I was considerably edgy after seeing what the track had on offer. However once I got into the driver’s seat things weren’t quite as I’d expected. The seat was comfortable, the air-conditioning effective and the car was incredibly easy to drive. Within minutes of taking control of the beast, I had managed to tame it. We were instructed not the ride the clutch while going both up and downhill and after an initial few tense moments of hesitation, I found myself trusting the vehicle to accomplish everything that lay ahead.
Based on the iconic army jeeps of old, the legendary Mahindra Thar has been given a makeover to improve its appeal among city users. It has evolved from the likes of the rugged Mahindra CL340 and Classic and has continued from where they left off in terms of performance and reliability. Mahindra has chosen to continue with its trend of offering excellent off-road performance and basic functionality to prevent the Thar’s heritage from being watered down and has genuinely tried to up its game in terms of city-driving comfort with this facelift.
Priced at Rs 8,03,000 ex-showroom Nashik, I can’t help but feel that the increase in demand for the new Thar is going to be incremental rather than exponential. However, for those who prefer an extremely capable off-roader capable of performing domestic duties in a civilized manner, there still isn’t a worthy enough competitor out there that can challenge it. I truly had a blast and am quite certain that in those conditions and in that car, pretty much anyone would.
