One of India’s most iconic vehicles, the Mahindra Thar has made a grand comeback in a new generation, a whole decade after it was first launched in the country. A lot has changed; in fact, almost everything has changed in the SUV. While it continues to possess all the off-road capabilities, according to Mahindra it is also more a lifestyle product now something that can be used on an everyday basis. The vehicle was unveiled on Independence Day and Mahindra has already announced that it will be launched on 2 October 2020.
Design
One look at the Thar and you like it instantly. While the overall design still points to an intimidating off-roader, there are many elements that make the SUV look modern enough. The circular headlamps are now accompanied by LED Daytime Running Lamps and the dual tone bumpers add to an aggressive front look. The profile is very SUV-like with square wheel arches on the front and circular ones on the rear. The 18-inch deep silver alloy wheels make the car look big and bold. On the rear there are LED tail lamps which have the word ‘Thar’ written on them and that looks quite cool. The SUV now comes with three roof options; a hard top, a manual convertible top and a fixed soft top.
Interiors
Perhaps this is where you will witness the biggest change on the new Thar. It’s a much more luxurious cabin now, and yes you also get front-facing second row seats and the access to the second row isn’t bad either. The car now gets power windows, electrically adjustable ORVMs and central locking with remote flip key. Then there’s a tilt adjustable steering wheel and roof mounted speakers. The big change though is the addition of a 7 inch touchscreen infotainment system that is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It comes with navigation and also displays your adventure statistics. That’s not all; the Thar also gets smart watch & phone connectivity with blue sense app, a redesigned instrument cluster, tyre pressure monitoring system, tyre direction monitoring system, cruise control and steering mounted audio & phone controls.
Engine
The Thar when launched will be available in both Petrol and Diesel engine options with both manual and automatic gearboxes. The all-new mStallion TGDi 2.0 litre petrol engine produces 150 bhp of power & 320 Nm of torque, which surprisingly is the same as Diesel. The 2.2 litre diesel engine is also new and produces 130 bhp of power & 320 Nm of torque. These engines are offered with a choice of 6-speed manual transmission or 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission, with an authentic 4×4 manual shift transfer case with a low ratio. All the variants come with the all-wheel drive as standard. The Thar also gets a first-in-class brake locking differential, ground clearance of 226 mm in unladen condition and water wading depth of 650mm.
Safety
Mahindra has tried to make the Thar a much safer car than before. It gets several first in class features like ESP with rollover mitigation, built-in roll-cage with 3-point seat belts for all passengers and ISOFIX child seat mounts. The SUV also gets dual airbags & ABS along with first-in-class hill hold & hill descent control.
Launch
As we mentioned earlier, the new Thar will be launched on 2 October 2020 which is also celebrated as the foundation day of Mahindra and Mahindra. The prices will be announced on the same day and bookings too will begin simultaneously. Mahindra has already confirmed that there will be 2 iterations on offer, the AX for the adventure enthusiasts who love to go off-roading and LX for the lifestyle buyer who would like to use the Thar as an everyday vehicle. The prices for the SUV are expected to be kept between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 13 lakh and if that is indeed the case, it surely looks like Mahindra has another winner on its hands.