With Thar tied to road rage headlines, should Mahindra step in to manage perception?

Reckless driving is hardly unique to one vehicle, yet the Mahindra Thar has increasingly found itself named in road-rage headlines.

In July, one such case in Jammu went viral: a Thar, attempting to overtake on a single-lane road, struck a scooterist coming the other way. As the man scrambled to his feet, the driver reversed and hit him again, leaving him seriously injured. 

The culprit was condemned and calls were made for his arrest, but headlines also spotlighted the car he was driving: the Thar.

The SUV has featured in several such reports this year. And repetition builds perception. In 1990s Bollywood, the Maruti Omni became shorthand for kidnappings; today, the Thar risks being cast as the road-rage SUV, particularly in northern states where young men often treat powerful cars as props for masculinity.

LinkedIn user Vineet K.K.N. suggested curbs on how the vehicle is leased: “Let it come with a code of conduct, a trial test, maybe even a 4x4 oath…If they terrorise people in traffic…you take it back.”

The question for Mahindra is whether to shrug off the stereotype or intervene before it hardens further.

We posed this to a few communication experts and strategy chiefs.

Tarunjeet Rattan, managing partner, Nucleus PR

The Thar, sculpted as the “bad-boy” SUV, is now making headlines for all the wrong reasons. What began as bold swagger has spiralled into a stereotype: that of reckless behaviour dressed up in rugged metal.

From chilling road rage to reckless hit-and-runs, tragic incidents, though the fault of individuals, are increasingly staining the brand’s image. The “bad-boy” tag is sticking in ways Mahindra never intended.

Much as the name Vicky in the 1980s came to mean villain, or the Ambassador became shorthand for corrupt politicians, the Thar is edging dangerously close to becoming a symbol of aggression on wheels.

The difference between that era and today is that the modern media ecosystem will not let you outrun perception. Short-term swagger might look profitable, but with the next generation of woke, aware consumers, it is edging towards brand hara-kiri.

Mahindra needs to reclaim the narrative: adventure with responsibility, and quickly. It must showcase the Thar’s true DNA of adventure through campaigns centred on empathy, safety and respect. It should partner with road-safety advocates, choose responsible ambassadors, and create stories that celebrate thrill, not recklessness.

For brilliance without responsibility is just noise, and reputations rarely survive unchecked chaos.

Neeti Nayak, founder of The Gist, a communications consultancy (she led comms for Uber in her past)

The Thar has popped up in a few recent road rage headlines, but let’s be clear, this is about reckless driving behaviour, not the brand or the car. These are rare, isolated incidents, and sometimes the smartest thing a brand can do is stay out of it. Saying nothing can say a lot. 

Instead, I’d double down on what the Thar really represents: freedom, exploration, and exceptional performance. Share more real stories from owners, off-roading adventures, and that unique Thar community spirit. That’s the narrative that will naturally outweigh the noise.

Naresh Gupta, co-founder and chief strategy officer, Bang in the Middle, an ad agency

The Thar has a problem, and Mahindra has no option but to respond. Any car brand’s image is shaped by its owners. Car companies invest heavily in projecting that image to potential buyers.

Too many Thar drivers have been caught misbehaving and acting irresponsibly. While none of this is created by the brand, its advertising and communication contain no codes that inspire such behaviour. 

So, what can Mahindra do? For a start, its social media channels should begin promoting responsible behaviour, not responsible driving. The company needs active outreach that frames the Thar as a responsible, responsive, well-behaved car and reminds its owners that they, too, must live up to that image.

This will not eliminate reckless habits, but it will help distance the brand from the bad apples.

Divya Agarwal, an independent brand and behaviour strategist (former Chief Strategy Officer at ad agency Creativeland Asia)

Brands live at the intersection of owned and earned reputation. Mahindra can position the Thar as adventurous and aspirational, but if culture codes it as a “road rage SUV,” that becomes the reality. 

We’ve seen this before: the Maruti Omni launched as a family van but was immortalised in pop culture as the “kidnap van.” Once that narrative took hold, it was impossible to shake. 

I’ve often seen people drawn to Mahindra’s equity and the Thar’s rugged features, yet hesitate and choose the competition because of the baggage around its reputation. 

Cars are less about mobility and more about identity, acting as symbolic capital that signals self-expression. If Mahindra stays silent, the stereotype will only harden alongside the headlines.

Arneeta Vasudeva, national head, PR & Influence, Ogilvy India

All issues don’t merit a response but when negative associations start to influence a brand’s image, it becomes imperative to take stock. 

Perception issues in such a case can be tricky to deal with as it owes to what people think of the brand’s performance, which may not have any correlation with reality and facts.

I believe every adversity is an opportunity, and for Mahindra Thar in this scenario I see it may be a good reason for them to advocate safe and responsible driving practices, building a platform for thought leadership initiatives. 

This does not directly take on the reported issue, however, it will help solidify and build a reputation that is true to the brand’s value system.

Ameer Ismail, former president, Lintas Live

It is important in situations like this where negative conversations about the brand that may cascade further and cause reputation damage or worse, impact business that there is a pre-defined crisis response protocol.

The first step is to use ORM tools to assess and analyse social media conversations as that is where conversations are seeded and can spiral out of control if there is no reaction planned. Based on this assessment, Mahindra need to ensure they craft responses that can be deployed online and to media that must be authentic, show empathy and highlight safety measures of the vehicle.

Accepting the situation and addressing concerns will go a long way in mitigating this issue.