Mahindra Thar facelift review, test drive

With no major changes underneath, the Thar still drives like it used to. The 2.5-litre engine, putting out 105bhp, has enough grunt to pull you over most obstacles, evident by its performance on Mahindra’s off-road track. The addition of the differential lock has made it marginally more capable as the Thar conquers a lot more than before. The Eaton-manufactured differential lock, also used in the export Mahindra Getaways, helps send power to one wheel when the other one is airborne or stuck. However, a centre-diff lock would have added to its capability as the locking differential was of little help while climbing a mucky incline or wading through a slush pit. That said, the course laid-out for us at Mahindra’s off-road academy was not a cakewalk, and our test car shod with Maxxis Bighorn off-road tyres, along with careful driving ensured we didn’t get out of the car even once to push it. But if it were the standard road-biased Bridgestone tyres going through those obstacles, we would have been stuck for a long time. That explains the role of the right tyres while going off-road. 

 

We wish the tiny four-wheel drive lever could have changed places as it is still in the same awkward position and takes some effort to slot in. Also, the five-speed manual gearbox is still not light or easy to use and has an inconsistent feel while slotting into gears.