Launched back in 2010 the Mahindra Thar was made to fill in the gap left by the Mahindra MM540. The previous generation Thar was a gem to be driven off-road, however on the tarmac it was the last car you would want to drive. Things have changed now.
It's 2020 and Mahindra dropped in the all-New Thar. The new Thar was built all the way from scratch keeping many factors in mind. But, they didn't move away from the old design of Thar which has been largely retained.
During the launch event of the Thar, it was mentioned that the new Thar is built with safety in mind and is going to comply with all the safety norms for Indian road users. Well, they weren't wrong, and here is the proof as Global NCAP crash-tested the all-new Mahindra Thar and published the report to the public for #SaferCarsForIndia.
Let's analyze the test conducted by Global NCAP and feel proud which brings some expensive air purifiers to shame.
The off-road icon, which in its latest incarnation secured a pretty good four-star rating out of five. adult occupation citing that the driver had decent and adequate protection in both the head and chest area while the co-driver had good protection on both fronts.
The ratings are based on the offset frontal crash test at 64 km/h and while the report stated that the bodyshell itself was stable and capable of further loading, the footwell area was unstable. The Thar was also subjected to side impact tests where it scored comfortably within the regulatory requirements.
With three-point seat belts in all seating positions and dual airbags, the Thar offered excellent protection for the heads and necks of the driver and passenger. All the other areas of the body were given good-to-marginal protection.
However, the side impact results weren't considered as the vehicle couldn't secure 5-star rating. Finally, the Adult Occupant Protection rating stood up at (12.52 out of 17.00).
What is even more exciting is, Mahindra Thar also manages to score four stars for child occupant protection as the SUV comes with the required ISOFIX child seat mounts as standard. This was tested using a three-year-old child dummy in a forward-facing child seat as well as an 18-month-old child dummy in a rearward-facing child-seat. Guess what? The Thar is also the safest car yet to be tested for child occupant protection. The ratings were 41.11 out of 49.00 which is the highest yet.
The 4-Star safety rating of the Mahindra Thar shocked everyone considering the fact that the Thar is based on a ladder-on-frame chassis which is generally termed to be not exciting for crash-tests. But, Mahindra being Mahindra proved themselves and developed a car that is safe for the people of India.
The Thar also undertook a fast lane maneuvering test or as some call it "moose test" where the car is made to perform quick lane changes to simulate highway conditions and it performed fine and has a lot of room to improve. Mahindra Thar is also the first car in India to undergo this test. We are confident that Mahindra will work on its ESC.
All this just goes to show that a manufacturer if has the will to produce safer cars can do it and they don't need to justify with gimmicks like a sunroof or a large Tesla-inspired tablet. The second-gen Thar comes with a bunch of safety features including dual-front airbags, hill hold and hill descent control, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, and rear parking sensors.
The second-gen Thar has a sticker price between Rs 9.80 lakh and Rs 13.75 lakh (ex-showroom). It currently has a waiting period of up to seven months. That waiting period just goes on to show that the people are actually moving towards the #SaferCarForIndia initiative. Although some companies justify themselves by whining about 3-star rating with the unstable bodyshell, Mahindra is unique as they work for saving lives.
Yes, your cars are equipped with all the safety features but this doesn't translate to a license for rash driving. Road safety and road awareness is most important thus wear seatbelt.
Talking of the Mahindra Thar, launched on 2nd October 2020 it has been an eye-catcher on road. The Thar which was known for its off-road capabilities has now become a luxurious vehicle to be driven out on the roads and can be used on as a daily, unlike its previous generation.
The new Thar retains the signature boxy design of the original model but in a refreshed avatar. Lot more style thanks to the new 7-slat grille, rounded headlamps, heavy-duty 18-inch alloys, and three new roof options: fabric soft-top, convertible soft-top, and hard-top. The Thar is all loaded.
Walk-in and you are greeted with a functional yet straightforward cabin. The dashboard looks amazing with an all-black finish, the materials are fairly premium and the layout is pleasantly spacious. Worried about your interior to be soiled after an amazing weekend off-road? Fear not the upholstery and switches can be washed.
Pop the hood and you will spot a 150hp, 2.0-liter turbo-petrol engine and a 130hp, 2.2-liter diesel mill. It also gets a new 6-speed automatic transmission while a 6-speed manual and 4x4 drivetrain is standard. Yes, automatic transmission in a freaking Thar.
Yes, I do agree that the Thar is not really practical with the 3 door setup but, it gives out the funky appearance to the public as it resembles the Jeep Wrangler. At the end all need something which is safe, practical and luxurious and the Thar is just at the perfect balance.
Although the Thar doesn't rival anyone in the segment it still attracts the crowd of KIA Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster. However, we would expect the Thar to take head-on against the Jimny if launched in India in the near future.
In the end, it's just amazing how the Indian Manufacturers are able to provide safer cars and bag the titles. Also, it equally frustrates us how some international OEM's think it is fine to be selling double standard products to India and later justify it too. While the trolls out in the market keep pointing towards the Scorpio for scoring a perfect Zero in a crash-test conducted a few years ago, the designers at Mahindra are working to make things look different this time with the Scorpio and the proof is Thar.
Kudos to Tata Motors and Mahindra for taking the #SaferCarForIndia initiative seriously and making an effort to reduce deaths caused to road accidents. We at TheRaceMonkey also thank Global NCAP for the #SaferCarForIndia initiative and giving us a report on the transport situation of India.