Mahindra Thar Wanderlust 2018 Review – A Quick Walk-Through

This all started with the family gathering in which I met one of my cousins again after ages of no see. He brought up a topic about off-road vehicles, of which I’m not that proudly aware, let alone being an expert. Still, it triggered my curiosity to learn more of this type of vehicle. The talk went on and on about car designed to deal with rough terrains, then all of a sudden my good cousin mentioned an intention of getting a Wanderlust by Mahindra for himself. And the car’s name was stuck in my head from then on.

What you make of the car at the first glance is that it is not here to fit in the majority’s taste. Trends are for conformers. The Wanderlust, as its name suggests, wanders off to the point it deviates from the norm and forges an own path. Again, it is not here live up to everyone’s expectation, and as a result, will not waste anyone’s time. This article will help you figuring out if the car is for you or not.

What you make of the car at the first glance is that it is not here to fit in the majority’s taste

1. Mahindra Thar Wanderlust 2018 Exterior

Let’s crack on with vessel! The SUV’s outline overall emulates, or to be more accurate, is inspired by the look of the Jeep CJ. To bring about this 2018 facelift, the front end has received quite a bunch of updates, which includes a new pair of much more powerful LED headlamps, leaving no road corner in shadow when the sun sets. Following that is the redesigned front and rear bumpers with silver finish, appeal beholders with the aggressive quality. 

To bring about this 2018 facelift, the front end has received quite a bunch of updates

Moving on to the sides, the most conspicuous feature is the 33-inch tyres being fitted with steel wheels; the tail also gets adorned with a fifth wheel which flaunts all the more the car’s stance of a tough guy. Other details of accenting effect include falcon-wing doors, twin exhausts, top-mounted side view mirror and a whole new set of taillamps.

Falcon-wing doors look amazing on the refreshed vehicle

2. Mahindra Thar Wanderlust 2018 Interior

The interior layout carries over the standard layout of Mahindra Thar; being highlighted by beige theme and leather-covering on the steering wheel and door panels. It also offers two racing seats which are equipped with 5-point harnesses, though eye-catching are they, comfort for passengers is not guaranteed due to the lack of cushioning, thus making long journeys tiresome and tedious. The infotainment system is integrated with pioneer touch screen, installed with navigation and connected to reverse camera for safe parking as well. Furthermore, power sunroof once again makes its appearance on this facelifted version of the wanderlust, much to everyone’s expectation. 

Lack of seat cushioning will cause discomfort during long trips

Ingress and egress are not supportive at all for folks of average build. Needless to say, sliding entry is something Mahindra need to put more work on. Headroom and shoulder room are generally of sufficient volume, but the overall design leads to lack of space in the cabin, yielding little legroom at the rear seat, which is coupled with humble cushioning, makes it quite a squeeze sitting at the back. 

3. Mahindra Thar Wanderlust 2018 Performance

Basically, the new Thar Wanderlust receives no upgrade in terms of engine and mechanism. In fact, the current model will continue to be mated to the standard 2.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine which also powers the 2015 Mahindra Thar CRDe. The motor develops 105 PS of max power @ 3800 rpm and 247 Nm of peak torque @ 1800-2000 rpm. The gearbox which is in pair with this engine is the 5-speed manual one.

A big drawback of performance is the NVH levels which did not see much improvement. Operating motor’s noise can seep into the cabin and make it quite disturbing. To make it worse, the transmission is quite tricky since the lever must be handled accurately, which means low response and poor interaction with the driver. 

The bulky frame and the heavy load of the whole car’s mass are the main factors which negatively impacts the CRDe engine and hamper its delivery on high roads, discouraging driver to run at high speeds. Having that being said, handling rough terrains for the Wanderlust is just a piece of cake all thanks to its low-end grunt.

Technically, large wheels are a vital feature of an off-roader in the case of driving off paved or gravel surface. This idea works well theoretically and practically as long as it is a pure off-roader. But our Wanderlust here is actually a hybrid of an SUV, and this proves to yield counter-productive effect. The thing is oversized wheels entail higher clearance to fit them in, and as a result renders the entire suspension jerky and unresponsive. Having that being said, the sturdy structure of suspension still works pretty well, wonderfully soaking up tremendous shocks during the test drive. 

Steering would be another issue to which you need to get used. It requires a lot of practice to work with the steering wheel to make a turn. And this spirit of keeping practicing should be also applied to the braking system, which may cause sudden jerks in the case of being engaged abruptly.

4. Mahindra Thar Wanderlust 2018 Safety Package

The fact that Mahindra Wanderlust comes with no basic safety devices makes it shamefully less appealing than the other SUVs. Even the distinct look that turns countless heads would not help much with the sales.

5. Mahindra Thar Wanderlust 2018 Specs

Considering what is said above and the starting price (Rs 20+ lakhs), looks like the chances of this SUV selling to clients all with its uncommon and eye-catching appearance, which is credited to all the hard work of the manufacturer in the effort of being more inclusive. And with all the updates made to retouch the car, the Wanderlust will certainly attract serious buyers of serious number, though not that much of a big deal by comparison with its rivals partially due to its inflexible range of use which is not ideal for a day-by-day basis driving within a city.

With all the updates to make the facelift possible, a number of serious buyers is not so a far-fetched idea