We keep on seeing tug-of-war between two vehicles. While this type of benchmarking can actually damage the mechanicals of the vehicle and reduce its life extensively, this video below is becoming viral. In the video, a brand-new Mahindra Thar is against an Isuzu D-Max V-Cross. See what is happening in the video.

The video starts and shows the tug-of-war between the two vehicles. The Isuzu D-Max V-Cross dominates the situation and drags the Mahindra Thar for a good distance of around a couple of hundred metres.

The Mahindra Thar is struggling to even find the grip while the D-Max V-Cross totally comes out as a winner in this round. But that makes you think if the Thar is underpowered? Isn’t it?

Is the Mahindra Thar underpowered?

The video clearly shows that the Mahindra Thar is in stock condition and even the tyres are OEM. On the other hand, the Isuzu V-Cross in the background seems to be heavily modified with lift kit, aftermarket rims, tyres and a lot of other things that are not visible due to the angle.

Well, first of all, the tug-of-war is not happening between equally modified vehicles so it does not show a fair result. Other than that, the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross is extremely heavy compared to the Thar. The Isuzu weighs about 2 tonnes while the all-new Mahindra Thar diesel hardtop weighs around 1.7 tonnes. This makes the V-Cross have much higher momentum when it starts to move compared to the Thar.

Coming to the technicals, the Mahindra Thar diesel is powered by a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine that generates a maximum power of 130 Bhp and peak torque of 300 Nm. All the variants of the Mahindra Thar offer 4X4 as standard and low-ratio transfer case. That makes the Thar extremely capable on the off-roading terrains.

The Isuzu D-Max V-Cross is only available with a diesel engine. It is powered by a 2.5-litre diesel engine that generates a maximum power of 134 Bhp and a peak torque of 320 Nm. 4X4 variants of the V-Cross also offer a low-ratio transfer case.

Lighter is better

When it comes to pure off-roading, lighter is better. Yes, some lightweight vehicles face the challenge of not having ample traction but a better suspension set-up can solve this problem. While doing off-roading, the lighter vehicles have an advantage over the heavier vehicles that may get stuck and may not come out easily. That is why lightweight is always preferred during off-roading sessions.

Also, one should know that both Mahindra Thar and the Isuzu V-Cross are highly capable vehicles when it comes to off-roading. The Thar has slightly more advantage due to its short wheelbase while the Isuzu V-Cross has the big flatbed.

Such tug-of-war games do not do any justice to the capabilities of the vehicles and one should refrain from doing it. It can damage the mechanicals of a vehicle and reduce life by quite a lot.