Builder Explains Why Mahindra Thar Should Become Mumbai's 'Official Car' [Video]
Mahindra Thar needs no introduction among Indians. Since its market debut in October 2020, the new Thar has been having strong demand in most parts of the country. Today, the family is two-models strong- the three-door Thar and the five-door Thar ROXX. Both these SUVs are known for their off-road abilities. A Mumbai-based builder recently shared a humorous take on why the Thar is so popular in his place and should even be called the ‘official car of Mumbai’. Interestingly, this had to do more with the city than the SUV itself! The video of this conversation is now racking up views online.
Harshul Savla of Suvidha Lifespaces was talking on Vishal Bhargava’s podcast when he made this statement. As the video opens, we see the host asking him about the ‘unusual car choice’. ‘Why does a builder like you take a Thar?’ Bhargava asks. To this, Savla replies with a witty remark ‘Mumbai roads are off-roading roads’.
He says that a Thar (or a G-Wagen if the person is rich enough to afford one) is the best car that one can drive on a Mumbai road. He also states that the roads in Mumbai aren’t made for luxury cars like Mercedes or BMWs. High-end luxury cars like Bentleys or Rolls-Royces aren’t even options here! Mumbai roads, he says, are made for an off-roading experience, which can be enjoyed best with a Thar.
Savla then makes the conversation more interesting by giving an anecdote. He talks about a conversation that he had with a friend who lives in Singapore during his visit to the country. He was once in Singapore for a real estate conference.
His friend then started flexing the country’s high-quality infrastructure. He said that the roads in Singapore as so well-built that they host Formula 1 there, during which some parts of the city close down. He wasn’t bluffing. The Marina Bay Street Circuit continues to be part of F1, and the Singapore Grand Prix is considered to be one of the most challenging races of the season.
Circling back to the conversation, Savla told his friend that roads getting converted into F1 tracks isn’t a big deal, as in Mumbai, the roads convert into golf courses on Sunday! He was referring to the potholes on our roads here. He also told his friend that the Indian roads even convert to Mars and Moon during monsoons- taking a dig at the pathetic condition of our roads during the rainy season.
It remains a sad reality that the roads in most Indian cities develop craters and end up in pathetic conditions during monsoons. Despite being India’s financial capital, Mumbai is no different. In his closing remarks, Savla adds that he has given up on the thought that they would ever improve and considers the Thar to be the perfect car for these roads.
It looks like this real-estate developer isn’t the only one who’s come to terms with the poor conditions of Mumbai roads. The video has been getting a lot of engagement and reactions from netizens. Most people seem to have normalised poor roads, and are devising ways to cop with it.
Potholes and broken patches have become the new normal! Many believe that buying an off-roader SUV (like the Thar) or an adventure/dual sport bike (like the Himalayan) is the best way to stay ‘comfortable’ on such roads. Soft-sprung vehicles definitely have an edge in such cases!
In the recent past, we even saw a carmaker capitalising on potholes and broken patches! Soon after the launch of the Harrier.EV in India, Tata’s marketing team put up a yellow-coloured picture-frame on a heavily potholed road in Mumbai. The frame had ‘The perfect road for Harrier.EV’ printed on it and was placed right in front of a huge pothole, clearly highlighting the ride quality of the Harrier EV.
Motorists learning to live with potholes and carmakers encashing them- Indian roads are indeed unique!