Mahindra & Mahindra has received over 75,000 bookings for the second-gen Thar to date, with the waiting period reaching up to a year
In October last year, Mahindra & Mahindra launched the second-generation Thar in India. The SUV was an instant hit among enthusiasts, and many buyers lined up to get theirs booked. Now, the homegrown UV maker has revealed that in just a year, the new-gen Thar has garnered over 75,000 cumulative bookings!
The manufacturer has also revealed that nearly 50 per cent of bookings have been made for the automatic variants of the Thar, and around 25 per cent of buyers have chosen to opt for the petrol version. Also, around 40 per cent buyers of the Thar are millennials, which means that the lifestyle SUV is extremely popular among the youth.
To meet the high demand, M&M has ramped up the production of the Thar, but due to the global semiconductor chip shortage, deliveries of the SUV to customers continue to be delayed. At the moment, select variants of the Thar have a waiting period of a year! Still, new buyers are steadily queueing up to buy one it seems, as the bookings figures continue to increase.
Mahindra Thar is currently priced from Rs. 12.78 lakh to Rs. 15.08 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). It is available with a choice between a 2.0L turbo-petrol engine and a 2.2L turbo-diesel engine, both of which can be had with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox. One can also choose to get either a hard-top roof or a soft-top convertible roof.
The new-generation Force Gurkha was recently launched in India, and it is the only proper rival to the Thar. Force Motors is planning to introduce the five-door/long-wheelbase version of the Gurkha as well soon. Also, Maruti Suzuki is preparing to launch the Jimny in our market, likely in a new 5-door avatar. It will serve as an affordable alternative to these SUVs when it arrives, likely next year.
Interestingly, Mahindra & Mahindra is also developing a five-door version of the Thar, expected to arrive by 2023. The 5-door Thar is expected to get the same 2.0-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engine options as the existing 3-door model, but tuned to generate more power.