It’s arguably a controversial vehicle, with its angular design splitting internet opinion-givers into two camps, seeing how one could either love or hate its unconventional look, but that seems to have helped Tesla when it comes to getting a boatload of reservations, at least according to a crowdsourced tracker.

As per the publicly available that also lists over 47,000 self-reported reservations, Tesla has received an estimated 2 million pre-orders for its first-ever pickup truck, with most of the prospective customers going for the dual-motor and tri-motor versions, while the single-motor and quad-motor versions have less than 10 percent each in the grand scheme of things. Almost 70 percent of those who plan on getting a Cybertruck also have a Full Self-Driving (FSD) purchase in mind, as revealed by the document.

It’s worth noting that the numbers aren’t exact, with the authors of the spreadsheet saying that there’s some clever math going on behind the scenes to come up with the results, adding that several corrections have been made over time.

Furthermore, it’s interesting to note that even with a rather small $100 refundable deposit, Tesla managed to rake in a massive $200 million from pre-orders for the Cybertruck alone, allowing it to invest the money into the pickup’s development – if the numbers prove to be correct, that is.

Moreover, it’s expected that not all reservation holders will follow through with an order after the first units of the Cybertruck are delivered, but even if 80 percent of the pre-orders are canceled, that would still leave Tesla with 400,000 customers.

The same crowdsourced tracker estimated that the all-electric pickup had reached 1 million pre-orders in May 2021, with the number going up to 1.25 million in August 2021 and 1.3 million in November 2021 – two years after its unveiling.

The Tesla Cybertruck is expected to go on sale during a special handover event sometime this month, according to Elon Musk.

Source: Tesla Reservation Tracker via Electrek

Source: Read Full Article

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Announced as part of the BMW Group Malaysia House of Forwardism event in Kuala Lumpur that opens to the public this September 23 to 24, 2023 is the Charge Go mobile electric vehicle charging solution introduced in partnership with Gentari.

Aimed at addressing range anxiety and charging availability concerns among EV users, the specially-outfitted Proton Exora units for this purpose contain a 30 kWh battery pack, and is capable of output up to 30 kW DC, with CCS2 or CHADeMO connections.

On display at the event that is located at the open car park area outside Mandarin Oriental, the pair of Proton Exora mobile charging vehicles are each here in a white-and-blue scheme and a yellow-and-black scheme for the BMW and MINI brands, respectively.

As with the initial release of details in May for the service provided by Gentari this year, Charge Go has three Exora mobile charging units, and a fourth that is a converted Toyota Hiace with a 60 kW battery pack, also with up to 30 kW of output.

Pricing and areas of availability are still works in progress, however BMW Group Malaysia says that the mobile EV charging fleet will initially consist of four mobile charger vehicles, and which will be rolled out later this year, with exact dates to be confirmed.

A Gentari subsidiary, Charge Go began as a pilot project for a mobile charging solution for electric vehicles aimed at businesses, and to offer a means of keeping EVs charged when they are deployed for prolonged running in applications such as events and trade shows.

Meanwhile for existing EV charging locations, BMW Group Malaysia has today also introduced an unlimited EV charging package with ChargEV, JomCharge and Gentari for owners of BMW and MINI electric vehicles in Malaysia.

These can be purchased by BMW owners at RM2,400 or RM1,800 for MINI owners, offering unlimited charging at all ChargEV, JomCharge and ChargEV facilities nationwide for 12 months from date of activation. Each of these packages will be valid only for the vehicle registered to the package.

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with myTukar.

Research BMW Cars at

2018 PROTON EXORA TURBO PREMIUM CVT 1.6L

2020 PROTON EXORA TURBO PREMIUM CVT 1.6L

2020 PROTON EXORA TURBO PREMIUM CVT 1.6L

2021 PROTON EXORA TURBO PREMIUM CVT 1.6L

2021 PROTON EXORA TURBO PREMIUM CVT 1.6L

2018 PERODUA MYVI H 1.5L

2018 PEUGEOT 208 PURETECH 1.2L

2019 PERODUA ALZA AV 1.5L

2016 TOYOTA VIOS J 1.5L

2018 PEUGEOT 208 FL PURETECH 1.2L

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The MIIT images show an RS-badged model that looks pretty much identical to the US-bound variant, sporting a closed front grille with integrated main beam lights and a rear diffuser, as well as several video cameras which will presumably be used for a 360-degree view on the infotainment system.

Furthermore, there are blind spot visual alerts embedded in the side mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, a two-piece sunroof, and two color variants for the roof itself: the same as the body or black.

The dimensions of the upcoming zero-emissions crossover are also in the government filings, with the Equinox EV measuring 190 inches (4,845 millimeters) long, 75 in (1,913 in) wide, and 65 inches (1,644 mm) tall, which means it’s 3 in longer and 1.1 in taller than the Tesla Model Y, while the width is 0.6 in smaller than the Tesla-branded EV.

Pricing-wise, the Chevy Equinox EV is expected to become one of the most affordable battery-powered vehicles in the United States when it arrives at dealerships this fall, with the entry-level 1LT variant expected to cost around $30,000, according to General Motors.

In China, the model is manufactured by SAIC-GM, whereas the US-bound units are being assembled at the Ramos Arizpe factory in Mexico alongside the Honda Prologue, with the first units rolling off the line back in June, according to a post on X.

Five trim levels will be available in America, the first of which – 2RS – will arrive at dealerships this fall with a GM-estimated range of up to 300 miles for the front-wheel drive variant, 20–inch wheels, and a heated flat-bottom steering wheel.

All the other versions (1LT, 2LT, 3LT, and 3RS) will become available in the spring of next year with a minimum GM-estimated range of 250 miles for the base 1LT with FWD. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but we expect GM to offer more details when the model officially goes on sale in the coming weeks.

In related news, a petition signed by about 600 EV drivers is asking the American automaker not to ditch the entry-level Equinox, citing the fact that GM dropped the most affordable variant of the Chevrolet Blazer EV which was supposed to have a base price of around $45,000, thus setting a precedent for the potential disappearance of the entry-level Equinox EV.

Source: MIIT

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A few weeks ago, we saw the AMG 63 variant of the CLE for the first time and this new prototype looks almost identical. It wears its production body and lights and it appears that there are rectangular exhaust pipes at the back, which hints this is indeed the 63 guise and not the less powerful 53 model. Interestingly, the weird wheel setup of the previous prototype is gone for this test car, which has a set of multi-spoke alloys.

Gallery: Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 Coupe New Spy Photos

The big mystery regarding the new CLE 63 is what will be under the hood. As a reminder, the CLE 450 4Matic has an inline-six engine and it would be strange if the top-tier AMG model gets a smaller engine. The C63 has a hybridized four-cylinder mill generating 671 horsepower and 752 pound-feet. And while those are solid numbers for a performance coupe, it just doesn’t feel right to have a smaller engine in the range-topping model.

Alternatively, Mercedes-AMG could install a new plug-in hybrid powertrain based on the 3.0-liter engine. It is believed that a similar setup will debut with the upcoming E63 family, where it could produce over 700 horsepower thanks to electric support. Whether that powertrain will find its way in the new CLE 63, it remains to be seen.

There’s another answer that needs to be answered – when the performance coupe will debut. There’s no official information but our educated guess is that we will see the model in the first half of next year with sales probably starting around the third quarter of 2024 as a 2025 model.

Source: Read Full Article

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BHPian athray9 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

BMW iX xDrive50 First Impressions of a BMW X3 M40i owner

Dear BHPians,

I had to drop off my X3 M40i at the dealership to replace the windshield camera housing. I had to choose a loaner vehicle for the day. I was offered a 530i or an X3 30i. I asked them if they had an electric car hoping to get an i4. But to my surprise, they asked me if I was okay with a BMW iX. I got excited and immediately said okay. I was asked to wait outside the showroom and then the car pulled up in this beautiful shade of blue.

I am not a big fan of the front grille and the alloy wheels. Leaving those aside, the side and the rear of the car look very attractive, especially the long rear lights. The car is pretty big and is a whole size bigger than my X3.

I open the door of the car and I am welcome to this luxurious interior.

The steering had a flat bottom design, which felt nice to hold.

The electric seat adjust buttons were placed on the door. I adjusted the seat to my driving position and as I tried to adjust the steering, I realized that the steering also had an electric adjust.

The seats of the car were big and they extended all the way to the door, but the seat base was flat compared to my X3 which has smaller seats but is more supportive.

I press the start button and realize that the car has a gear knob instead of a gear lever that my X3 has. The knob felt sturdy and good to use with just one finger.

I connected my phone to the infotainment system and it was amazing to see the entire 14-inch real estate display the Apple car play interface. The resolution of the screen was great, but the aspect ratio seemed to be too wide and felt unnecessary. I would still be better off with the 12-inch screen on my X3 30i. The instrument cluster did not offer too many customizations just like my X3. It just had different graphics in comparison.

The gear knob had two options- D & B. D mode had regenerative braking until the speed of 5 mph. Below 5 mph, the car coasts. In B mode, the car had regenerative braking until it came to a stop which meant no coasting.

I put the car in B mode since I have driven my cousin’s Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor with the regenerative braking in its highest setting. As I took the car outside the dealership, I realized how silent the car was. It is so well insulated compared to my X3 and I don’t even want to compare it to Teslas since they don’t have great sound insulation.

I drove the car patiently until I reached the freeway where I wanted to go flat. I was not aware of the specs of the car until that point. I went flat out as I joined the freeway and I was blown away by the acceleration, it was B-R-U-T-A-L. The car felt so powerful even for someone coming from an X3 M40i.

My X3 M40i has 382 bhp, 500 NM of torque and the car weighs at 1910 kilos. The iX 50 has 516 bhp combined power from both the motors, 765 NM of torque and the car weighs at 2566 kilos.

The car definitely felt like it had 516 bhp due to the brutal acceleration. The surprise here was the handling. The steering was not as sharp as my X3, there was definitely a slight delay in the way you get into a corner in comparison. But the way the car held in the corner was a surprise. The batteries on the floor helped keep the car grounded and it did not feel like a 2.5 ton car around the corners. It definitely had the BMW DNA in terms of handling.

As I was driving on the freeway, I realized that the gas pedal had the same travel as my X3 would and that is not good for an EV since we do single pedal driving, we have to modulate the throttle and brake using the gas pedal and that gets tough, I wish the pedal had more travel.

I tried to accelerate the car flat out again and realized that there is a slight lag to when the car responds to throttle which is not expected from an EV. I put the car in sport mode and I realize the same problem. It is not a deal breaker but if you had driven a Tesla, you can definitely feel the small lag.

As I was driving, I wanted to turn on recirculation, and as I looked for the button, I realized that everything is controlled by the touch screen. I found it difficult to search for the recirculation option as I was driving. I don’t understand why BMW decided to go this route. The buttons for air-con in my car are definitely better to operate.

I reached my home which was 27 miles away from the dealership. The car had 420 miles of range when I started from the dealership and as I reached home, the range dropped to 375 miles. That’s about 45 miles of range drop for a 27 mile drive. I am not sure how much better it would have been had I not done some pulls but the range indication got me thinking twice about trusting it.

I reached home and decided to check out the rear seat.

The rear seat base was flat just like the front seat, but there was a lot of under-thigh support and leg room for a person like me who is 5’11. The rear seat extends till the doors as well making it spacious for 3 people as well since the car does not get a rear central tunnel. One problem I had with the rear seats was the backrest angle. It was upright for my liking and the fact that you cannot adjust the recline angle did not seem good in an otherwise great rear seat experience.

The car has a 4-zone climate control. Rear vents are present in the pillars as well. The controls for the rear AC vents are present below the vents along with the heated seat controls.

There are USB-C ports behind the front seats.

The rear cabin lights were placed way too behind and were not easily accessible.

The boot is big at 500 liters and has the charger neatly tucked inside the boot floor neatly.

Since the boot lid extends all the way till the edge, the car has lights for use when the boot is open.

The power window switches did not feel premium enough in an otherwise well-put-together interior. The ones on my X3 come in chrome.

As for the final verdict, the iX xDrive 50 feels very powerful, it handles really well, the interiors are luxurious and the car is loaded with tech and feels like a car from the future when coming from an X3. If you can get past the front grille, it is an amazing car with a real-world range of 320 miles which is decent enough.

If we compare the iX to an X5, an iX loaded with decent equipment costs about $93K which is around $6K less than a similar specced X5 50e. But the car feels a lot more futuristic compared to an X5.

But for someone like me who travels a lot and would want a gas car and I can do with the lesser rear seat space since I have no family, I would still prefer the X3 M40i.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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BHPian yesyeswe recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Recently went for some quick drives(120 kms) and on a longer one(600kms) to better understand the 1.2 TSI and the DSG unit. The car loves to upshift, at approx 60 kmph you are driving in D7 which results in very good fuel economy. I like to drive sedately so that contributes to the good fuel economy as well. I have driven 1.0 TSI with torque converter extensively and the car keeps on driving in D5, it up shifts very late.

Now that the car is automatic even putting the car to manual mode and up-shifting & down-shifting seems like a task, want a pedal shifter steering to downshift whenever needed with bare minimum effort. . But just preses the pedal a bit and the car downshifts from D7 to D4 in a blink.

The car lacks lumbar support, on my 600 km drive(round trip) my back was seriously asking for some lumbar support, and i was constantly changing my angle to find a comfortable spot.

Got some accessories like a tyre inflator, car vaccum and a car charger, now looking for a dashcam and then some good looking seat covers to enhance the interior look of the car:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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The post Observations on my VW Polo 1.2 GT TSI after a couple of long drives appeared first on AutoMotoBuzz.com.

Leading mechanic Scotty Kilmer has warned petrol and diesel drivers could “destroy” vital car parts after making a simple error on their driveways.

The YouTube star urged road users to take extra precautions when washing their car at home.

He said motorists should never wash the inside of their vehicles and specifically the engine bay with a powerful pressure washer.

Kilmer warned the high-pressure water could damage electrical connectors and vital parts such as the alternator.

Instead, road users should leave the engine bay dirty as this makes no difference to the vehicle’s overall performance.

READ MORE ‘I’m a mechanic – a driving mistake could leave you a huge repair bill’

Kilmer told his channel: “Today I’m trying to show you how pressure washers are great for cleaning your driveways but not so hot for cleaning your engine bay. Driveways are just concrete, you cannot hurt them.

“But under the hood of your car, there’s all kinds of electronics, computer-driven modules, you can ruin them with water

“Especially high-pressure water. It’ll get into electrical connections, it could destroy your alternator, it can get on your computer sensors.

“Then you’re going to have one heck of a time figuring out what’s wrong. See how dirty my engine is, it runs perfectly fine.”

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According to FindandFundMyCar, owners may be forced to pay a staggering £500 to repair internal engine water damage.

Carwow said motorists may be forced to cough up “thousands of pounds” if water had damaged the engine or the electrical system.

Motoring experts at Halfords revealed drivers can clean their engine bats but should take extra precautions

Halfords explained: “After you’ve cleaned the surrounding areas, it’s time to move onto the engine itself. Use your cleaning wipes to remove any oil or grease.

“Again, you may need to use the toothbrush or pipe cleaners to get into any tight areas. Use a microfibre cloth to dry everything off. Do not use a hose pipe on the engine as this could cause damage.”

Kilmer reassured motorists they could salvage the engine after spraying it with water as long as they acted quickly.

He added: “What you want to do is get yourself a hair dryer, unclip all the electrical connections, dry them with a hairdryer and if you have a really old car that has spark plug wires on it, take them off and air dry all of them.

“Often the problem will go away if you get to where the moisture is.”

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BHPian mayuresh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have been a happy user of Tata Safari Dicor for 12 years.

I can still continue with it, but for some knee trouble that I have developed, use of clutch in heavy traffic causes a lot of soreness now. So, wish to switch to AT/CVT car. So AT/CVT is the primary requirement.

Usage pattern: City usage of about 100km per week, occasional long distance trips, may be around 4/5 times a year.

• 4 seater is ok but it should be spacious. 5 seats of Safari got utilized on very few occasions in my usage.
• Should drive well on rough roads, pothole ridden city roads as well as somewhat rough roads when we go for outings.
• I am a little over 6′ and prefer tall cars with good leg room, also prefer good leg room for the rear seats.
• Would prefer higher GC and largish wheel base.
• Among comfort features: Good air conditioning for both front and the rear seats and low NVH levels. Prefer good thigh support for tall passengers.
• I am not much into ICE or other gizmos. All those are welcome but aren’t a primary requirement.
• Basic safety features will do, whichever are a norm today. I am not very demanding about those.
• Good boot space for outstation travel. Safari has really spoiled us for this, but can settle for a little less.
• Good road presence and good view of the road, something I am used to in a Safari.

Budget : 20L (extendible).

So far I seem to have liked Honda Elevate reviews. But not sure if I should really switch from 2.2L Dicor to 1500 cc engine. How much will I miss the power of Safari on long drives? (I am not particularly sedate style driver when it comes to outings with good highways.)

Overall I find that there is a lot of crowding of SUVs in the under 20L range and then at the higher end they start close to 30L range, nothing much in between in terms of price. Curious why is that so.

Here’s what GTO had to say on the matter:

Since you are already a Safari owner and well familiar with the pros & cons of Tata ownership, why don’t you take a spin in the 2023 Tata Safari? Great looking SUV, but has its cons (refer to our official review). The AT & engine are well-matched.

Since you have increased your budget to 30-lakhs, the segment best is the XUV700 IMHO, followed by the Scorpio-N. If not an urgent need, you could also wait for the 4-door Thar that’s coming in 2024. Will be style with practicality.

Also TD the Innova Hycross Hybrid. I’m a huge fan of this car. The mid-variants fall in your budget. It’s now very SUV’ish in terms of styling and offers unbeatable practicality + fuel economy.

Here’s what BHPian Arjun.hb had to say on the matter:

Scorpio N did have an AT in Z4 trim. Not as spacious as Safari but close. Does everything else better than the Safari.

Here’s what BHPian 07CR had to say on the matter:

Scorpio N is something what TATA should have done with Safari facelift. You would not miss anything from the Safari, but feel upgraded in almost all parameters. Z4 AT seems best bet for you.

Mind you no other car in your budget will provide you the road presence and driving position of OG Safari. If you ready to let go that, Seltos FL (GT Line/HTX+ iMT), might be another alternative.

Elevate has good driving position. But road presence is a little awkward. Have read conflicting reports regarding the interior space for taller occupants. Many have found it uncomfortable due to angled flooring, which results in poor underthigh support. That along with the lazy 1.5 NA CVT Combo is something which might disappoint you on the highways.

Here’s what BHPian Paddelshifter had to say on the matter:

If you are a happy Safari Dicor owner, you’ll have no problem dealing with TATA service in my opinion. Based on this, I’d suggest that you test drive the TATA Harrier (not Safari). You will be able to compare it with the Dicor and see if it fits your requirements.

This should be followed by the ScorpioN test drive combined with the XUV700 also. You can then shortlist the one among these three cars and compare it with the next car (i.e. Seltos) that is different than the three you have test driven.

Seltos is not in the same leagues as the Dicor in terms of space but excels at all other areas. If you like the Seltos after driving larger cars, then you should be able to pick Seltos easily without confusion.

Here’s what BHPian BleueNinja had to say on the matter:

You have owned a Tata for 12 years hence I understand you would be quite familiar with Authorised Service Centres as well as FNGs. You are familiar with tata as a brand as well.

I would recommend Tata Harrier XZA (if sunroof isn’t a requirement) it gets all must haves plus some good to have features as well. This should cost you 24-25 lacs OTR pune.

The ride quality is great , drives really well and has street CRED. It’s spacious for a 5 seater and has a great AC performance. The automatic is really tuned well. It’s quite well balanced between efficiency and performance. I get a mileage of 10-11 km/ltr in heavy pune traffic and on highways I am able to get 17-19 km/ltr.

Since you will be going for an automatic variant you won’t be a victim of “knee console issue” as well once you have figured out a good seating position.

The boot space is good and 60:40 split seats can be utilised to get some more space. Also the front driver seat gets a lumbar support that you can adjust to provide adequate support to your back.

The one con that I would like to highlight is that I am 6’1 tall and I feel the under thigh support of front seat could have been tad bit better than what it is currently. However, a fellow Harrier owner who is as tall as me didn’t have any issues with under thigh support from his Harrier, so it’s better you check it out for yourself. Under thigh support won’t be an issue for your passengers though as the seats are really comfortable.

You can consider XUV 700 AX7 variant but won’t a 7 seater be overkill for you? AX5 variant isn’t speced out well for the price which it comes at.

Regardless I would say you can either go with ScorpioN, XUV 700 or Harrier.

Creta, Seltos or Elevate won’t appeal to you coming from a behemoth like Safari Dicor irrespective of how you look at it, whether it’s the build quality, engine power and feel or the road presence.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Replacing a 12 year old Safari: Which 25-30L rupee SUV to buy? appeared first on AutoMotoBuzz.com.

BHPian Dcs99 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey guys,

Delighted to update you that I purchased a Harrier XZ+ (MT) in dual tone color (Red+Black) in July from Kropex, Bangalore and have driven around 2500km so far with the first service completed.

Wanted to pass down some of my experiences to future/prospective buyers of this amazing vehicle just as so many others have done before me.

Brief background on the purchase decision:

I have been in the market to purchase a car since last year but had to be delayed due to various reasons. I have been viewing reviews of many cars (in both sedan and SUV space), especially on team-bhp (to whom I owe a great deal of gratitude) and many other car review websites.

Zeroed in on Harrier because:

• Me and my family loved the looks and the spacious cabin
• Features on offer were really good at the price point
• The positive reviews of the fiat engine

Points that were ignored:

• The hydraulic power steering (will get to that later)
• Fear of Tata service centres
• Unreliability of Harrier itself (with so many horror stories in this forum as well)

Other cars that we considered:

• Compass: a tad expensive and didn’t know about long-term vision of Jeep in India
• Hector: With the continuing struggles of MG in finding Indian partners, didn’t know how long the brand would continue
• XUV: Loved the car but the long waiting period and look-wise didn’t appeal to the family.
• Grand Vitara: Family didn’t consider it a big upgrade in cabin space compared to the i20. Interiors were underwhelming
• Took test drives of these vehicles but in the weeks leading up to the final decision, it always veered back to Harrier

Purchase

• Paid a booking amount of Rs. 21k at Kropex Sarjapur who promptly confirmed that there was a car matching our requirements and could be delivered in time for my son’s birthday which made us doubly delighted.
• Got a fair deal for my 12-year-old i20 from Kropex along with some discounts and we went ahead with the financial arrangement.
• Car delivered on the promised date and time and made sure that all registration formalities were completed before delivery.
• No complaints about the dealership or the SA. Can be considered a pleasant experience.

Driving experience thus far

Have driven 2500 kms so far – Around 1500 kms on the highway when I went from Bangalore to my hometown near Vijayawada and rest in Bangalore traffic.

Positives

Negatives

Overall, while there was initial hesitancy after reading and viewing various reviews regarding Harrier/Safari I am more than happy with my purchase. It handles well in city traffic with decent mileage and the highway experience is mind-blowing.

Cannot wait to go out onto the highway once again with family in tow.

A Proud Harrier Owner!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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The post Proud Tata Harrier owner shares 13 pros & cons for prospective buyers appeared first on AutoMotoBuzz.com.

BHPian Dippy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

As a car enthusiast, once in a lifetime there comes a machine that just sweeps you off your feet. A car that gives you your YOLO moment. A car that you just want. And I found mine in this:

This is my 2023 Everest White Mahindra Thar 4×4 petrol AT Hard top. I call it the ‘White Hulk’

Read on…

Flashback:

I experienced the Thar for the first time in 2016 when I was invited to the Mahindra Adventure off-road academy to do their advanced off-roading course. So my first drive of the Thar was literally in its natural habitat. During the course, I drove it through slush, mud, ruts, water and everything nature could throw at it. And this was the first gen model.

Two days and I was smitten. I came back home and tweeted to Anand Mahindra asking for an AT variant to be made. Well an AT never made it to the first gen Thar but we all know what happened later in the 2020 new Thar. Was it my tweet effect? I don’t know.

After that in 2018 I went for the Mahindra Spiti Escape and my steed for the 10 day expedition was the first gen facelift Thar. It was a brand new car that was driven from Mumbai to Chandigarh for the start of the expedition. It even had the seat plastics on along with the new car smell. And thankfully they had fitted a Bluetooth head unit with speakers . That trip gave me a chance to know the Thar even better. Drove it through all kinds of terrain including driving through a flowing river and made some fantastic memories. This trip left a lasting impact on me.

The 2020 Thar:

Come 2020 and after loads of spy shots and teasers, Mahindra finally unveiled the 2nd gen Thar on 15th August 2020. On the same day a Freedom drive was organised for the media and I got a chance to sample the new Thar. The variant I drove was a diesel automatic HT:

10 minutes into the drive and that was the moment. Me and my brother decided we just had to get one whenever the time comes. After that day, drove the media Thars whenever I got the chance. From the diesel to petrol, from MT to AT, hard top and the convertible.

My head would turn every time I would see one the road.

But when would I get my own?

While I ideally wanted to buy the Thar in 2022, considering it was a good two years after launch, my plans were put on hold as we decided to move to a new home. The second half of 2022 and early 2023 went in house hunting which in itself is a huge task.

We finally moved into our new home in April 2023.

Buying decision:

A couple of months after settling into our home, the Thar buying thought was brought up by my brother. We kind of decided that it was a good time to buy. Choosing the variant was a no brainer. We decided on the petrol AT 4×4 hard top. As for the colour we both agreed on the Everest White. It was a new colour and I thought the Thar looked smashing in white. While that shade was launched in the RWD, it trickled down to the 4×4 soon enough. I loved the Rocky Beige which was offered at launch but sadly that got discontinued. Black and red were too common and the rest didn’t really do it for me. So white it was.

After the decision, the next thing to do was to sell the Civic. I wouldn’t have sold it if I had an extra parking space. I put up an ad in the classifieds and found a genuine buyer in a week’s time. A navy officer, not a petrolhead but someone who would care for the car. I am happy I got a good price for the Civic as I had kept it in pristine condition. Buyer and seller did a happy handshake. The Civic went to its new owner on 28th June 2023.

A picture of the Civic:

Booking & delivery:

I booked the Thar on 17th June at NBS Kandivali (Mahindra’s own dealership). I booked the car via a dear friend who is a DSA and has a firm of his own. While I booked the car at the Kandivali, I requested for delivery from the Chowpatty showroom in South Mumbai as that would be closer to home.

At the time of booking, black, red and other colours in 4×4 were available for ready delivery. For my white car I was given an estimate of 2 months. New colour and white was produced less is what I heard. Still Mahindra produced my Thar rather quickly and it was ready for delivery 2 weeks after booking. I got fresh July 2023 production car (verified the VIN). A few days went in sorting the finance and getting a choice number and my Thar was finally ready for delivery on 28th July:

Reached the showroom at 5 pm. Completed the formalities and the usual delivery celebrations happened. Cake cutting et al. The pooja was done by my mother and we got her to accept the key as well. The owner’s manual, warranty booklet and the second set of keys were handed over to us in a neat folder and we also got a goody bag of Mahindra merchandise.

The entire purchase was super smooth. A big shout out to NBS and my friend for a smooth purchase experience. No accessories were forced upon for purchase, but I took the extended warranty. My Thar is a 5 year warranty coverage in total. However I do wish they offer more. Maybe they will in due course.

One of their driver’s got the car out of the showroom. The NBS Chowpatty showroom is not the most spacious. Went to the near by petrol pump and filled up its first full tank, post which we drove home. The feeling was still sinking in that we finally got our own Thar.

A couple of pictures from delivery:

At home post delivery joining the Polo GT in the garage:

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