On the auspicious occasion of our 74th Independence Day, Mahindra has finally taken the wraps off from the most awaited Second-Generation Thar Off-roader. The new avatar of the legendary Thar has undergone various design revisions and is more feature-rich than its previous model. Also, it's now get the automatic transmission and a petrol engine as well.
The launch has been scheduled for 2 October 2020 on Gandhi and Shastri Jayanti.
2020 Mahindra Thar: What's New?
Variants
Next-gen Mahindra Thar will be available in two variants: AX (Adventure) and LX (Lifestyle). As clear by the names, The Thar AX variant strives at the adventurer seekers while the LX gets the more premium proposition.
Exterior
Well, The all-new Mahindra Thar is completely fresh from top to bottom while keeping its traditional DNA alive. Its boxy silhouette is still remained but with modern tweaks. It gets a redesigned front and rear bumpers with silver inserts, LED DRLs on new fenders, a new set of alloy wheels, and refreshed taillights which get LED units this time. It continues to feature the Wrangler-inspired seven-slat grille and its classical round headlamps.
This is the first time when Thar gets the factory-fitted hard top roof. But there is a surprise for you! The new Thar gets the removable hardtop panels. Yes, you read it correctly… Giving goosebumps, Right?
Like before, a convertible soft rooftop option will also be there.
Interior & Features
The interior of Mahindra Thar continues to highlight its rugged appearance with a more user-friendly and modern equipment list on offer. It gets a new all-black interior layout with piano-black finishing around the AC vents and silver highlights here and there, which gives it a premium appeal. The design of the steering wheel is also new and seems borrowed from TUV300, which is yet to be upgraded on BS6 emission norms.
For the very first time, the new Thar has loaded with modern technology equipment like a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a new instrument cluster with a colored multi-info display (MID), climate control, cruise control, electrically adjustable ORVMs, roof-mounted speakers, steering-mounted audio & telephony controls, height and lumbar adjustment for the front seats. It also gets the front power windows, day/night IRVM and remote keyless entry system.
The infotainment system of the new Thar will also display real-time information about details like wheel angle, torque, roll, pitch, gear indicator etc, which will be really helpful during off-roading.
On the other hand, Mahindra has also improved the safety pack as well. It includes dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors, high-speed alert system, seat belt reminder as standard. Additionally, the LX variant will also get the electronic stability program, hill hold assist, hill descent assists, tire pressure monitoring system with tire direction indicator, ISOfix Child seats. Mahindra will also offer the roll cage as optional feature.
Seating Options
Again as an introductory change, the Thar SUV will be available with front-facing seats in the rear, a total of 4 seats (2+2 layout), making it suitable for the family purposes also.
However, the AX variant will come with 6-seating (2 front + 4 Side-Facing in Rear) configuration as standard. The 4 seating layout will be optional in AX, while it will be standard in LX trim.
Off-roading features/characteristics
The new Thar will feature lots of off-roading biased characteristics that include all-terrain tires as standard, 650 mm water wading capacity, 4×4 drivetrain, both electronic and mechanical locking differentials, an approach angle of 42 degrees, departure angle of 37 degrees and ramp over angle of 27 degrees.
The ground clearance of the new Mahindra Thar is 226mm.
Underpinnings
The all-new Thar SUV sist on a 3rd generation ladder-frame chassis (body-on-frame). The suspension setup is also new. It gets an independent double-wishbone suspension at the front and multi-link coil spring at the rear.
Colors Options
The new Thar will be available in 6 colors: Red Rage, Mystic Copper, Galaxy Grey, Napoli Black, Rocky Beige, and Aquamarine.
Engine and Gearbox
New Thar will be available with two engine options: a 2.2-litre diesel (130PS/300Nm) and a 2.0-litre mStallion turbo petrol engine (150PS/320Nm). Both the engines will be available with an option of 6-speed manual transmission and 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
It is important to note that the AX variant will come with manual transmission only with both the engines, whereas the LX variant will get the choice of a manual or an automatic transmission with diesel motor while the petrol engine will come mated with automatic transmission only.
Expected Price
Justifying all these new additions and upgradations, the Thar will surely receive a price hike and the base variant can now be expected to be priced around Rs 10 Lakhs (up from 9.6 Lakhs for outgoing Thar).
Author's Take
Thar has always known for its off-roading capacity, but with this latest update, It is more family-friendly now. With this, Mahindra has tried to target a wider audience.
The Indian maker has been able to revise the gap in armor and the addition of convenience equipment, indicates that it is more desirable than ever.
