Sometimes its the more rugged and bare bones SUVs that are more adept at off-roading than fancy expensive ones as has been demonstrated by the Mahindra Thar SUVs here. Off-roading also greatly depends on the skill and experience of the driver.
It is popular belief that the more expensive an SUV is, the more capable it will be off the road. Well, it may be true to some extent, as more money brings you more off-road hardware and more technology for better off-road capability. However, sometimes its the more basic and bare bones hardcore SUVs that are more adept in off-road conditions and can even be handy in rescuing a big expensive SUV stuck in similar conditions. And here, we have an example of something exactly similar – a Mahindra Thar rescuing a Land Rover Discovery stuck in mud.
This video uploaded by Lokesh Swami shows several SUVs going around an off-road course. The vehicles include modified Mahindra Thars, a Toyota Fortuner and even a Land Rover Discovery. The vehicles can be seen crossing different obstacles and then lined up to cross an artificial water crossing. First up are the Mahindra Thar SUVs and they overcome the obstacle without any drama at all. Next, there’s a Toyota Fortuner and even that manages to clear the obstacle fairly smoothly. Lastly, its the Land Rover Discovery that that attempts the obstacle but messes it up slightly.
The driver of the Land Rover Discovery is new to off-roading and his vehicle being expensive, he enters the puddle more carefully and much slower than other SUVs who crossed the obstacle before. Although at first it seems to have made it across the puddle, the Discovery soon gets stuck due to lack of momentum. The driver tries reversing the car in the puddle to attempt again with better momentum but the SUV is already struggling with traction with its road-biased tires. Spinning the wheels at the same place, it has even beached itself, suggesting a little more ground clearance would have helped.
Also Read : Toyota Is Considering To Bring the Hilux Pick-Up Truck to India!
And that’s where the humble Mahindra Thar comes in. Don’t get us wrong, the Land Rover Discovery is an extremely capable SUV and it would have overcome this obstacle in a breeze in the right hands. However, because it was expensive, the driver was more cautious and the lack of momentum got the SUV stuck. A Mahindra Thar eventually winches out the Discovery out of the mud but in the process, the side cladding on the door sill of the Discovery has already come out. That’s really a shame as the Discovery is capable of so much more.
Also Read : MS Dhoni Gets Himself A Pontiac Firebird As A Retirement Gift!
Having said that, all the Mahindra Thar SUVs in this video were running on aftermarket off-road tires and that really helped their case. Moreover, the Thar is simply much ore rugged and hard core than the Discovery and will easily take a beating, something you’d be really scared to do to your discovery. In the end, off-roading prowess really depends on driver’s experience, skill and also the ruggedness of the vehicle. An expensive SUV will only take you so far but it when it comes to real world conditions, it is often the more basic hardcore SUVs that fare better at off-roading. And that honestly is the true formula for off-roading.
