With Gurkha and now Jimny to rival, Thar 4X4 is one of the most sought-after lifestyle off-road SUVs in India
With Jimny incoming a similar power-to-weight ratio as Thar, one might think that Jimny is enough. But does Jimny have the grunt that larger capacity engines do? Can Jimny 4X4 match Thar 4X4 pound-to-pound when raw capability is concerned? This viral video where a Thar pulls a wedged bus out in ice-snow conditions helps this discussion.
Mahindra Thar 4×4 Rescues A Bus
Mahindra Thar 4X4 has been put to good use to pull out a stuck bus in ice-snow conditions. This incident has taken place in Sawajian village in Poonch district, J&K. In a viral video that is circulating on social media, we can see a local bus wedged beside the road as it lost traction due to ice-snow conditions.
A Thar 4X4 convertible came to the rescue and with a tow strap attached, it slowly and successfully pulled the bus out from where it was stuck. With brute Torque of Thar’s able powertrains and driver’s presence of mind and quick thinking, the rescue mission came to an end on a good note.
This incident puts light on reliability and dependability of vehicles in tricky situations and terrains. It is often said that there is no replacement for displacement. Good ol’ displacement is still key in situations like this.
Thar 4X4 used to come with either a 2.0L petrol engine with 152 PS and 300 Nm, or a 2.2L diesel with 132 PS and 300 Nm. 4X4 and mechanically lockable diff were standard fitment, with these, Thar poses a lot of capabilities.
New Powertrains
Recently, Mahindra has removed mechanically lockable diff as standard and is offering 4X2 layout option with 2.0L petrol engine. A smaller 1.5L diesel engine with 4X2 layout is offered as well. Recently unveiled Maruti Suzuki Jimny has a 1.5L NA petrol with 104 PS and 134 Nm.
In tricky situations like this, vehicles need to have 4-wheel traction and a wider contact patch. With fat 245 profile tyres on Thar with an A/T pattern, Thar was able to pull the bus out with relative ease.
In places and terrains like this, driving unfit vehicles is a liability to themselves along with everyone else on the road. And that brings us to a question for another day. What is our understanding of an SUV across various vehicle segments in India?
