The all-new Mahindra Thar has been pulling a lot of attention from buyers since its launch on 2nd October. Till now, the brand has received over 20,000 bookings, and this has led to a long waiting period of up to seven months, depending on the variant. As per the Mahindra’s officials, the Thar is already sold out until May 2021. Useless to say that the popularity of the second-generation Thar is enormous thanks to its all new-design and a lot of convenience features, making it more practical than before. But is it really that much capable to cater all of your needs? Well, in this particular article, we will talk about all the positive & negative aspects of the 2020 Mahindra Thar so that you can decide whether it is the right car for you or not.
2020 Mahindra Thar – Pros
1. Elegant Design
The all-new Mahindra looks massive and has a more robust road presence than its previous generation model. It looks like a mini Jeep Wrangler. Even with the modern looks, it beautifully carries its old retro charm. Overall, the 2020 Thar retains its classic boxy silhouette legacy but still looks fresher, crisper, and visually appealing. Another big is the wide range of configuration, about which we have talked in the next point.
2. Configurations
The second-generation Thar is offered in two trims: AX (Adventure) and LX (Lifestyle). According to the manufacturer, the AX trims are specially designed for hardcore off-roading purposes, whereas the LX is equipped to suit general family needs. Besides this, Mahindra has also offered several seating and rooftop options with the generation update. Here’s is the variant-wise seating & roof type choices: –
| Variants | Roof Type & Seating Option |
| AX STD | 6 Seater Soft Top Roof |
| AX | |
| AX (O) | 4 Seater Convertible Top |
| 4 Seater Hard Top | |
| LX
| 4 Seater Convertible Top |
| 4 Seater Hard Top |
The 4 seater variants offer two front-facing seats in the rear, making it suitable for family purposes, whereas the 6-seating configuration gets the usual side-facing jump seats in the rear.
3. Better equipped than before & safer
Mahindra has done a remarkable improvement in its features quotient. The brand has offered the new Thar with halogen headlamps with Follow-me-home function, LED DRLs, alloy wheels, tailgate-mounted spare wheel 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, semi-digital instrument cluster with color MID (multi-information display), climate control, keyless entry, USB charging port, lumbar support, steering-mounted controls, roof-mounted speakers, cruise control, front power windows, height-adjustable driver’s seat, day/night IRVM, tilt steering, even electrically adjustable side mirrors, etc. Apart from this, the 2020 Thar also gets a washable interior with drain plugs provided and removable roof panels. It has an IP54 waterproof rating.
On the safety front, it comes equipped with dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, panic brake signal, speed alert, and front seatbelt reminder as standard. It also features 3-point seat belts for rear passengers, ESP with roll-over mitigation, ISOFIX child seat anchors, roll cage, speed-sensing door lock, tire pressure monitoring system, and even the tire position indicator, which is quite helpful, especially during off-roading. But strangely, there’s no rear camera on offer. One can get it as an accessory. It is important to note that in a recent crash test conducted by the global NCAP, the new Mahindra Thar has achieved a 4-star safety rating out of five, which is quite impressive.
Also Read: Mahindra Thar Accessories Prices Revealed
4. Petrol & Automatic powertrain for the very first time
Targeting the urban buyers, this is the first time when Mahindra has offered the Thar with both petrol (2.0L turbocharged unit) & diesel engines (2.2-litre turbo unit) choices, and notably, both motors are available with a 6-speed manual as well as automatic transmissions options. The automatic gearbox is a torque converter unit, which makes it desirable for the bumper-to-bumper traffic.
5. Good off-roading performance
The Thar has always been considered as a brilliant off-roader and with the new generation update, its go-anywhere capabilities have been increased considerably thanks to the significant enhancements in departure angle, breakover angle, and ground clearance.
Being an off-roader, the Thar has almost everything that you will need to conquer every terrain. It offers an auto-locking rear mechanical differential (electronic locking in top-spec) & a shift-on-the-fly 4×4 drivetrain as standard on both the powertrains. The 4X4 drivetrain comes with four modes: 2H (two-wheel drive), 4H (four-wheel drive), N (neutral), and 4L (crawl ratio).
5. Most affordable off-roader
This iconic Mahindra vehicle is the most affordable & reliable off-roader available in the Indian market. It is priced between Rs 9.80 lakh and 13.75 lakh (ex-showroom).
Also Read: 2020 Mahindra Thar SUV: Old Vs New
All-new Mahindra Thar – Cons
1. Ride quality
The Thar is essentially a ladder frame-based off-roader. But this time, the brand has stated that they have done notable changes to make it acceptable for urban use as well. In this process, the brand has also improved the NVH and ride quality of the vehicle. The NVH levels have been improved a lot as per Thar’s standards. On the other hand, it deals with bad roads very strongly, but on the tarmac, the ride quality feels pretty jerky & bouncy even on straight roads, and the sharp bumps can upset you furthermore, which is not acceptable in day-to-day conditions. Also, you’ll have to deal with loads of body roll even on the moderate curves. Further, the shape braking results in a forward movement.
2. Lacks of features
Although the 2020 Mahindra Thar offers a lot of features. But still, there are some loopholes which should be considered.
- Poor visibility due to the tailgate-mounted spare wheel.
- No reverse parking camera on offer.
- No keyless fuel-lid opening switch/lever.
- Rear windows aren’t openable.
- Congested footwell area.
- No foldable ORVM.
- When the rear seats are in use, there is no room left for luggage.
Due to all these above-mentioned flows, the pricing of top-spec LX variants seems high. And, it also raises questions on its lifestyle nature that the brand has pitched so far.
3. High waiting period
As mentioned in starting, the waiting period on Mahindra Thar’s selected variants is so high that you have to wait up to seven months to get your car delivered to your home. Further, the brand has also temporarily stopped bookings for the base-specs AX STD and AX variants of the Thar. The long waiting list is something that no one desires, including the OEMs. However, to tackle this issue, the brand has ramped up the production capacity, but even then, the waiting period is unlikely to be reduced by more than 1 to 2 months.
Verdict
With the new generation update, Mahindra Thar has become more stylish and features loaded than ever before, which will fulfill your dream of wanting a modern yet comfortable SUV while keeping its core off-roading DNA alive. The Indian maker has tried its best to increase its acceptance in urban markets. But despite the introduction of more practical & comfortable features than the previous model, it still lacks many aspects, which you might consider while buying a family car. Hence, in our opinion, it can be a good second car for you that can handle the rough stuff.
