The new-generation Thar is marketed as a vehicle that you can use on a normal day like going to office or shopping mall and do offroading on holidays.
Mahindra Thar has always been a lifestyle a vehicle. The capable SUV is the first love of enthusiasts who drive a normal car in weekdays and take their Thar on off road trails on weekends. It has always been the secondary car option in your garage with very less practical usage.
With the new generation Thar, Mahindra has tried to shatter this image. New Thar is touted to be a regular vehicle. Let us find out whether Mahindra has really able to make the new Thar worthy enough to become the primary vehicle choice for buyers.
#1 Interiors
Thar is known to have spartan interiors and features. Not anymore! The new Thar is equipped with a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation and USB connectivity. Other creature comforts include automatic climate control, power-adjustable ORVMs, cruise control, roof-mounted speakers, colour MID in the driver instrument cluster, and steering mounted controls. It is now also equipped with cruise control and tyre pressure monitoring system.
New generation Thar is also equipped with IP54 water resistance grade interior switchgear. The cabin is also designed in a way that you can easily clean after a good off roading adventure. On top of that, it will now also come with a 4-seat layout. The front driver seat is also height-adjustable.
#2 Exteriors
Mahindra has worked really hard on its exteriors. Now it also has an uncanny resemblance with the Jeep Wrangler. It has now got got LED headlamps and tail lamps. Mahindra has retained iconic circular headlights but now are surrounded by bright DRLs.
The brand new bumper now comes with a distinctive front grille gives it an upmarket look. Other upgrades include 18-inch alloy wheels, electronic ORVMs and split tailgate.
#3 Hard Top
Last generation Mahindra Thar used to come with soft top only. It was also the biggest deterrent for buyers to not buy Thar as it is not practical to drive around in smoking hot summers or pouring rains with a soft top. For hard top, you had to go for an aftermarket fitting.
To address this issue, Mahindra will now offer hard top of variant of Thar with two fixed glasses on both the sides. That means, now you can comfortable drive in hot summers and heavy rains.
#4 Engine Options
Mahindra Thar will now come with multiple engine options. It will offer a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine that churns out 152hp and a 2.2-litre turbo diesel that is capable of 132hp. 4×4, low-ratio box, manual shift with transfer case will come as standard. Both the engines will offer 6-speed automatic and manual transmissions.
#5 Safety
New Thar will offer dual front airbags, Anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Hill start/ stop assist, and Electronic Stability Program with roll-over mitigation among others.
The new generation Thar's booking will start from 2 October 2020. Mahindra has not announced the price yet. However, it is expected to be priced aggressively in the 12-15 lakh range.
