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Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com attends the launch of the 5-door Mahindra Thar Roxx in Kochi and comes away mesmerised.
The 5-door Thar, finally to be launched on August 15 -- was a news item which brought back the child in me.
Not that all the other generations of the Thar have had any lesser effect!
That's because, you see, the Thar is not just a car.... It is The Thar. It can't fit into the bracket of just any car. It is a cultural phenomenon.
If you don't believe me, ask ANYONE who has ever dreamt of owning it.
So when I got the invite from M&M for the launch of the Thar ROXX, which is what the 5-door is called, I was surprised to see a hard copy in this digital world reach my home; further, it said this invite was for you and your spouse/partner.
Now this was a big surprise from an OEM manufacturer to invite the journalist as well as his family -- never before has an OEM done this.
So after much persuasion, the wife, who normally does not like the Thar at all, after hearing about the stay in Kochi and its perks, agreed.
On the flight to Kochi we had a surprise guest -- Farhan Akhtar, who was travelling with his crew and an attentive as hell bodyguard.
Wow! Was Farhan going to perform? The invite (above) did say a concert was slated for the evening.
Kochi welcomed us with bright and sunny weather and we were ferried to the hotel where the thought soon turned to reality!
Farhan Akhtar mesmerised us all on stage, and how! Do see the video below.
Farhan started with Sinbad the sailor from the movie Rock On!!, then went on to Dil Dhadakne Do from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, then Main Aisa Kyun Hoon from Lakshya and back to Rock On!! with Socha Hai.
It was not just the rocking songs that Farhan did, he also voiced his famous 'Dilon mein tum apni betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho toh zinda ho tum'... He gazed into the eyes of the fans and made them dance to his tune as well.
And when he sang his last number the crowd of Mahindra people, media and their families went into a frenzy... and that's when the fireworks started.
And the even bigger surprise for all the auto enthusiasts happened. Do see the video below to know more
Yessssssss. The first glance at the Mahindra Thar Roxx in person.
And then this is what it was!
It was an evening to behold... and a glimpse into what we would be driving the next day.
And yes, before I forget, the missus was now in love with the Thar ROXX in the Tango Red colour.
And now for the vehicle's practicality information.
The price of the base version of the Mahindra Thar ROXX, petrol as well as the diesel variant, was announced on the eve of our Independence day, which we had disclosed earlier to be Rs 12.99 lakh and Rs 13.99 Lakh respectively.
But see what all the base variant has in it.
The only difference I could see at first glance here was the 18-inch wheels... instead of the 19-inch ones in the top variant! Normally an 18-inch wheel is considered quite a large footprint.
I know because my top-end SUV has 18-inch wheels!
But here in the ROXX the base variant itself gets that along with a push-button start. Unheard of in base models!
This is what we were left with. Now to wait for the morning.
Enough with the drooling. Here are the prices of all the variants.
On August 15 morning I was greeted by none other than John Abraham, the actor, in the lobby as I was walking down for breakfast!
John looked like he had spent the early hours of the morning travelling but was still greeting the Grand Hyatt Kochi staff with smiles and agreeing to selfies with them. This sight took me by so much of a surprise that I could not take out my camera or phone to take a picture. It was just the hotel staff with John and he was visibly humble.
This time I thought John must be having some launch event for his movie Vedaa in Kochi which was also releasing on the same day.
But wrong I was. Here he is, with tousled hair and droopy eyes, looking at the Thar and asking for its details like a child.
SEE: John Abraham asking questions about the Thar ROXX! Video: Kind courtesy Mahindra Automotive
Now it's time for the drive.
But that's for the next feature.
COMING UP NEXT: Detailed images and the first drive Impressions of the Mahindra Thar ROXX.