Mumbai: After a decade, Mahindra has unveiled a new-generation Thar. The cult off-road semi-open SUV will be launched on October 2.
It will be available in two trims — AX and LX — in both petrol and diesel engines.
The new-gen Thar is slightly bigger than its predecessor, and has modern features like auto climate control, LED DRLs & tail lights, parking sensors, to 7-inch touchscreen infotainment systems. The seats, touchscreen and interiors are washable, bearing the Thar’s off-roading capabilities.
The biggest change in the rugged SUV is the lack of exposed metal in the interiors. Mahindra has taken cues from the fact that the Thar has become a lifestyle vehicle rather than the strict off-roader it was. The same is seen in the interiors, in the form of new dashboard and faux carbon fiber finishes on the aircon vents.
MD Pawan Goenka called it “the spirit of adventure and a lifestyle icon” that has legacy written all over it. He pointed out that it was used in the armed forces since the 1950s. At the same time, it has become the symbol of “dynamic expression of fun, freedom and independence.”
Safety-wise, the new Thar has dual-airbags, ESP, speed-alert system and ABS.
The wheels are 18-inch alloys and painted in black.
There is Thar engraving on the wing mirrors and LED tail-lights.
For the first time, the Thar gets a petrol engine as an option. The petrol engine is a 2-litre unit that produces 150 bhp power and 320 Nm torque. The diesel is a 2.2-litre unit making 130 bhp. It will also get a 6-speed torque converter automatic for the first time as an option on only the petrol version. The 6-speed manual transmission will be mated to a manual shift-on-the-fly 4×4 transfer case for off-roading.
