Bengaluru floods: Watch Mahindra Thar drive across flooded road like a boss [Video]

Hundreds of vehicles broke during during the Bengaluru floods that inundated some parts of the city recently. However, there were some brave souls who ventured on flooded roads and got away unscathed. One such person is the driver of this Mahindra Thar, which was seen water wading on a road adjacent to the Bellandur lake, the epicenter of the flooding. The video we’ve lined up for you shows the Mahindra Thar fording through water that nearly touches the bonnet.

That there was no other vehicle driving alongside the Thar helped matters as a heavy vehicle can easily displace a lot of water, which can sometimes flood the intake of lower riding vehicles. The new Thar, which Mahindra introduced a couple of years ago, comes with the ability to wade across 625 mm of water, and the Thar in the video above seems to go slightly over this 625 mm limit.

Also read: Buying a pre-owned Mahindra Thar is better than buying a new one: 5 reasons

What can go wrong?

A lot. For starters, water could go into the intake system of the vehicle, causing a hydrostatic lock, seizing the engine and leaving the vehicle stuck. Flooded roads can have hidden obstacles such as rocks, open manholes and gutters, all of which can cause serious accidents. A strong water current can sweep the vehicle away. The electrical system of the vehicle can malfunction. Why, even the ECU of the vehicle could get fried, again leaving the vehicle stranded in flood waters. Considering these factors, it’s always advisable to not drive across water logged roads, especially if they’re roads that are unfamiliar.

Snorkels can help for deeper water wading

A snorkel is a device fitted to the air intake of the vehicle, and it allows the vehicle to wade through deeper water. The Force Gurkha is a 4X4 vehicle that comes standard with a snorkel, and this gives it a water wading ability of about 700 mm, which is slightly more than that of the Thar’s 625 mm. However, do be advised that the snorkel cannot protect the electric components of a vehicle, such as the ECU, from water damage. Therefore, knowing a vehicle’s water wading limit, and sticking to a safe margin below it is recommend.

The Mahindra Thar sold in India is in its second generation, and has been a best seller right from launch. Waiting times for certain variants of the new Mahindra Thar stretch to over a year. The off road SUV is sold with two engine options: a 2.2 liter-4 cylinder turbo diesel mHawk motor available in 130 Bhp-300 Nm state of tune, and a 2 liter-4 cylinder mFalcon turbo petrol engine sold in two states of tune: 150 Bhp-300 Nm (manual) and 150 Bhp-320 Nm (automatic). Both the petrol and diesel engined versions of the Thar get 4 wheel drive transfer cases with high range and low range functions. There are two body styled on offer – hardtop and convertible soft top. Both body styles can seat four passengers in a 2+2 layout. Ex-showroom prices for the new Mahindra Thar start from Rs. 13.53 lakh for the base petrol trim, going all the way up to Rs. 16.03 lakh for the top-end diesel automatic trim.

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