Nothing baffling really. The Thar looks like the Wrangler - period. Rather than going for the generic looks of the also-ran FWD hatch-on-steroids brigade (basically the inverted jelly-mould shape with minor variations, replicated by everyone and their cousin!), M&M did the sensible thing. And having learned from their Roxor experience in the US market, I'd feel that M&M is smart enough to stay from such controversial markets. In any case I feel that the domestic demand would be such that M&M would be hard-pressed to keep up.
Plagiarising car design is a global art form. I have been seeing this from the late-90s, when China started flexing their automotive muscles. I remember how we laughed (I was with Mitsui's car carrier fleet as a Ch. Eng. at the time) in Dalian when we saw something called "WindCruiser", looking like a Land Cruiser - rows upon rows of them, parked in the loading bay. All destined for W.Africa.
I read recently that the new Thar has been equipped with BLD (Brake Locking Differential) together with the other standard SUV features. The BLD would be another feather in M&M's cap, since the Thar would probably be the first offering with this feature in this segment. I remember reading long ago (during the Iran-Iraq war) that the original HUMVEE was equipped with this novel feature, albeit in a more rudimentary form. It struck me as an extra ordinary device at the time - giving the vehicle incredible off-road capability. Using a normal open differential together with automatic, progressive, selective wheel braking, it would ensure positive traction even with just one wheel on terra firma! And all this without the huge expense, complexity and power-hungry mechanicals of the Torsen diff, Haldex clutch or their ilk! Perfect for off-road buffs on a budget.
Way to go, M&M!
![[:D]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Big%20Smile.gif "Big Smile [:D]")
![[cheers]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Cheers.gif "Cheers [cheers]")