It looks good on paper then, but how does all this newness translate on-road, or rather, off it? I got behind the wheel at Mahindra’s Off-road Academy at Igatpuri to find out. Strapped in, geared up, and I was ready to tackle my first obstacle, the Hill Climb. At first I had to power down a short slope and then ascend a steep slope up to the top. The climb looked like a piece of cake from a distance, but by the time it was my turn, the slope was riddled with ruts and full of slush on account of the steady downpour. I started out in the first gear, gained some momentum, shifted into the second, and powered through. Slipping, sliding, kicking up slush, I made it to the top. The steering has been clearly worked on, for it felt a lot lighter than in the previous Thar, making it easier to manoeuvre through the ruts. The low-end torque helped give me the extra push I needed to get past the mud-bathed hill climb.
The next course involved traversing a rocky trail, finishing off with a splash. It looked like a blast and I was itching to try it out, and so I did. The rocky trail was no walk in the park — the rocks were quite slippery, and, at times, the Thar did momentarily lose grip, but the mechanical rear diff-lock played its part, improving traction and allowing the Thar to continue motoring along. After the rocky climb, it was time to take a dip. I tried to watch my fellow scribes from the other automotive magazines to see what line would be ideal, and thought I had it all figured out by the time my turn came — how wrong I was! As I started inching through the water, the car’s left side went into a huge ditch, leaving the right rear wheel in the air and devoid of any traction. Rear diff-lock to the rescue again, however, as I managed not to get beached here either. Throughout the off-road course the Thar handled well and cleared all the obstacles with ease.
This is the first time in five long years that Mahindra’s off-road monster gets an upgrade, and one that was definitely overdue. The cosmetic changes to the exterior, and the various upgrades to the interior, are like a shot of Botox to an old-school car. The mechanical rear diff-lock, too, is an absolute boon because the Thar’s off-road capabilities have been the car’s defining aspect, and this improvement goes a long way towards enhancing that particular facet.
Priced at Rs 8.04 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune), Mahindra’s off-roader has proved its mettle in the absence of tarmac. How will it fare on-road, though? Well, we’ll have to give it a proper road test to find out, won’t we?
