The new Mahindra Thar was launched in India earlier this month, and has received quite an overwhelming response from customers
People had been waiting for the second-generation Mahindra Thar since last year, when the first-gen model was discontinued. Sadly, the launch of the new was delayed several times, but finally, on 2nd October 2020, the SUV went on sale in the Indian market. Official bookings for the vehicle also opened the same day, and people rushed in to place their orders.
Mahindra & Mahindra received over 9,000 bookings for the new Thar in just four days after its launch. It is the only lifestyle 4X4 in our market to ever achieve this figure. Considering that the Thar isn’t a mainstream product, and that it is only available in 18 cities at the moment, this number is extremely impressive.
Although booking figures aren’t the same as sales figures, the new-generation Thar has clearly shown that the demand for lifestyle SUVs in India exists. That said, it isn’t entirely the segment itself which garnered such a positive response, rather it the new Thar. The new model is not a bare-bones basic off-road vehicle; there are plenty of convenience features and comfort on offer here.
The all-new Mahindra Thar is a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system on offer, along with a height-adjustable driver seat, a new multi-functional steering wheel, analogue instrument dials with digital MID, roof-mounted speakers, power windows, cruise control, and keyless entry. The Thar also has three roof options – hard-top, soft-top, and convertible soft-top – and you get removable doors as well!
The Thar also gets dual airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP (with roll-over mitigation), ISOFIX child-seat mounts, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, hill-start assist, and hill-descent control. There are two seating configurations available – 4-seater (with regular second-row seats) and 6-seater (with inward-facing rear bench seats). The new model also has two engine options available – a 2.2-litre ‘mHawk’ diesel and a 2.0-litre ‘mStallion’ petrol engine.
The oil-burner can generate 130 PS and 300 Nm, while the gasoline motor is good for 150 PS and 300 Nm (320 Nm on AT). Transmission choices include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic gearbox. It also gets a transfer box as standard, with three drive modes – 2-high, 4-high, and 4-low.
The price of the 2020 Thar is extremely attractive as well, starting at just Rs. 9.8 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). Considering that Mahindra is already working on a 5-door model, we’d say that the lifestyle SUV segment will only grow in the future.