2021 Mahindra Thar Review, Road Test

The Mahindra Thar needs no introduction. The iconic SUV has been doing rounds even before most of us reading this were born! The SUV is known for its crude nature that can take all the beating in the world and still solider on. Mahindra had to modernize it and it did with bringing out a Thar so good, that just a first look has had people talking nonstop ever since. Mahindra has an aggressive strategy ahead and bringing out new models to make sure they stand out and grab sales numbers. This iconic SUV is going to do so for them as it is now set to be the all-rounder that it should be since day one. Be it on the inside and outside, it has what it takes to impress a set of consumers. Like always there are core strengths and weaknesses of any product that comes from the Mahindra stable. We find out what the Thar offers and doesn’t to its prospective buyers.

On the outside, believe it or not, the Thar is a sub-four meter SUV! The SUV still has a proportionate stance and very good design grab attention. The elements such as the front grille, is completely legal and well done too! The round headlamp and the rectangular tail lamps at the back stand out despite being not so shouty. The large 18-inch wheels, boxy design, butch SUV stance thanks to spare wheel mounted on the tail-gate makes it look macho. The build quality seems solid and as we know, Global NCAP has awarded 4 Star safety rating to the Thar.

On the inside, the build and quality are good, not great. The stowage is good, charging points are in plenty, and overall a very practical cabin. The feature list, we have explained time and again in our launch reports. You get every feature possible in the top variants of the SUV apart from reversing cameras and projector lamps, wireless Android Auto and Apple Car Play. The infotainment system needs polishing. The system does not have Bluetooth remembrance feature and has to be connected every time and music shuts down even before removing the key, after shutting down the engine. These feel-good features should be included which are present in other Mahindra vehicles. The roof-mounted speakers and the sound system is good too considering the premium price tag.

Space is quite good too. The shoulder, head, leg, and knee rooms are segment standard and more than adequate in the four-seater version of course. The boot space is negligible with seats up, with seats down, there is over 500 litres. Road and wind noise inside the cabin can be better controlled as it can get intrusive. Wind noise creeps in, but after 140 km/hr. The safety kit includes ABS and EBD with two airbags that come as standard. Overall, cabin experience is conventional and vanilla but all of this for a Thar which now meets most modern requirements while being an epic all-rounder and an SUV that has removable doors, quite definitely deserves applause.

We drove both the petrol 2.0-litre engines making 150 PS and 320 Nm of torque in the 2.0-litre diesel making 130 PS and 320 Nm. The motor is a free-revving and low on NVH unit by a big margin but some intrusion does happen when you start pushing the car in the rev range. This is the case with petrol and diesel. What we have driven is automatic on petrol and diesel and they are ISIN torque convertor units which are the best in the segment. Seamless, quick and smooth shifting gearbox that adapt to your needs easily.

Thar still delivers spectacular fuel economy on the highway and city. 17 km/l on the highway and 11 km/l in the city is a very good number for diesel. Petrol delivered 6 km/l in the city. 11 km/l on the highway in normal driving cycle with few bursts of acceleration. Low and mid-range are good and the top-end is adequate as it runs out of steam after 3500 RPM. However, it ends up cruising at speeds, legal and above it, quite speeds easily. This makes good enough for city and highway duties.

The low to medium ride quality has underlying stiffness means it takes bad roads well enough at all speeds. The high-speed ride is stable and well-judged too. Clearly, the independent suspension on both ends makes things so much better. Body roll increases as speeds get higher while taking a corner or changing lanes at high speeds. Steering is light, precise, and has bare minimum feedback on offer.

However, it is confidence-inspiring most driving situation making the Thar worth that all-rounder tag. The steering kickback is quite high and that is a trait of every ladder on frame SUV. Brakes are good with a well-done pedal bite but the overall power could be better. Overall, the Thar can be your every day SUV if you really want this SUV as your only choice of vehicle.

With a 4×4 Manual Shift Transfer Case with Low Ratio, a Mechanical Locking Differential on the Rear Axle, an addition of Brake Locking Differential, a superb 41.8 deg approach, 36.8 deg and departure angle & ramp over angle of 27 degrees and a massive Ground clearance of 226mm makes the Thar’s wading depth come to a quite high 650mm and making the Thar an off-road dominator. Whatever we threw, it took all really well, which included some articulations on really worst roads and deep ditches.

Mahindra Thar Review, Road Test, Verdict

With the prices starting from Rs. 10.0 lakhs onwards reaching RS. 14 Lakhs ex-showroom for the top-end variants, there is no denying that Thar makes a lot of sense as the value is stupendous. For an SUV that went from a crude off-roader to a lifestyle, the everyday vehicle is a giant leap. We all have memories of Thar from watching it in real life to seeing it jump and chase in 90’s Bollywood iconic movies. The Thar holds a special place and you really cannot put a price on it. Mahindra made sure it delivered everything and Kudos to the Thar team that they gave something in India which competes with the best in the world. Thar offers something to India that truly fits the bill of every aspiring and four-wheeler enthusiast.