22-Inchers on New Mahindra Thar - Here's Why It's NOT a Good Idea

All-new Mahindra Thar is one of the nicest-looking off-roaders that are on sale in the country today. It is also one of the most capable vehicles in the Indian market. In the new-gen avatar, it has a long list of features as well. Interestingly, like the last-gen model, the new-gen Thar continues to be a tuner-friendly one. Thus, coming across a modified example is not a tough job. But this time around, owners are modifying their possessions as ‘Ballers’ or say ‘ Mall Crawlers’, since a lot of them can be seen riding on massive 20-inch alloy wheels. However, we recently came across a new-gen Mahindra Thar which has been shod with a set of 22-inch aftermarket alloy wheels. These rims come from the collection of Victor Wheels, and the modification job is performed by KB Tyres, Ludhiana.

While these rims do look flashy and attractive, it isn’t a good idea to have them on your new Thar. Here’s why. Up-sizing the wheels of your vehicle come with a few drawbacks. First and most crucial of all is the reduced profile of the tyres. In simple words, the size of sidewall reduces by a fair margin, and consequently, the ride quality goes for a toss. Another disadvantage of using bigger rims with low-profile tyres is the limited off-roading capabilities of the vehicle. As the low-profile tyres are generally performance- or road-biased and do not offer enough traction on the loose surface.

Moreover, tyres are a passive part of the suspensions. With low-profile tyres in place, chances of breaking a rim are quite high while the car goes through a pothole or undulation at high speeds. Thus, it isn’t a good idea to plonk in such massive rims on your all-new Mahindra Thar in case you wish to use it to its full potential.

The all-new Mahindra Thar is priced at Rs. 11.90 lakh for the AX Optional trim and 12.49 lakh for the LX variant. It is available with two engine options – 130 Hp 2.2L diesel and 150 Hp 2.0L turbo-petrol. The transmission choices on the new-gen Thar include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic. Furthermore, it comes standard with a 4x4 transfer case, low-ratio gearbox, and mechanically-locking rear differential.