The second generation Mahindra Thar has been the subject of discussion for a long time. Recently, it has received an impressive 4-star safety rating out of five in the Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) crash test. The all-new Thar scored 12.52 points out of 17 for Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) and 41.11 points out of 49 for Child Occupant Protection (COP). In fact, its COP score is the highest among all made-in-India cars inspected by Global NCAP under its #SaferCarsForIndia campaign. And, that is primarily due to the forward-facing rear seats and ISOFIX child seat mounts. The Thar also gets three-point seatbelts for all passengers along with the forward-facing rear seats on the AX Option & LX variants. Apart from these two trims, the base-spec AX std and AX variants offer a side-facing bench seat in the rear.
Also Read: Mahindra Thar Accessories Prices Revealed
Currently, the AX Option & LX trims of the Thar are in huge demand with waiting periods ranging up to seven months. To bring down the waiting period, Mahindra is going to increase Thar’s production by over 30% from January 2021. On the other hand, the Indian brand has also temporarily halted accepting bookings for the entry-level AX Std & AX variants. Considering the popularity and safety rating of forward-facing rear seat models, it is being speculated that Mahindra will revive the bookings of these base-specs trims pretty soon, offering them with forward-facing rear seats. We believe the bookings will recommence sometime in January 2021.
The 2020 Mahindra Thar has priced between Rs 9.80 lakh and Rs 13.75 lakh (ex-showroom). If the brand offers the front-facing rear seats in base variants too, then we expect the starting price to go up slightly.
At present, the Mahindra Thar has no direct rival in the Indian market. But the all-new Force Gorkha and Maruti Suzuki Jimny will soon enter the fray.
