Off-road enthusiasts have been waiting for the launch of the new-gen Thar 2020 for quite some time. It’s been a long wait, with test mules being seen on highways for more than a year.
With only 60,000 Thar on Indian roads, Mahindra knows that some major upgrades are required to make the Thar more mainstream. All the spy pics of the test mules indicate that Mahindra have taken the upgrade of Thar quite seriously, as it looks like a completely new vehicle.
Finally, the much awaited launch date of the Mahindra Thar 2020 was declared on August 15, 2020. Thanks to COVID-19, the launch was an online event, which allowed enthusiasts like me to be able to witness the live launch along with the reporters, magazines etc.
So I sat with my son precisely at 11:00 am and expectantly watched the TV screen. In true fashion, the launch started 10 minutes late.
After the customary introductions by the senior team, the new Thar look was revealed.
ENGINE OPTIONS:
The Thar 2020 will come in 02 engine options; Petrol and Diesel. The ‘Stallion’ petrol engine option is a first for Thar and is definitely targeted towards buyers who will buy it for city use and to make a lifestyle statement.
There is also a new 2.2L Diesel engine belting out 130 HP. Only a test drive will tell us about how refined it is as compared to the current mHawk engine.
VARIANTS:
There are 02 models in which the New Thar will be available; The AX – Adventure series and the LX – Lifestyle series.
Of course, the AX model will be for the off-road purists and will come only in manual transmission, in both diesel and petrol variants.
The LX model is for the people who want a fun vehicle for the weekend and it will come in both manual and automatic transmission in diesel variant and only automatic transmission in the petrol variant.
Personally, I am glad to see the Manual 4X4 shifter. Keeps the authentic feel alive.
SAFETY:
Coming to the safety features of the new Thar, Mahindra has of course had to make major changes, to meet the new safety standards.
OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY:
In terms of capability, the Thar has always been a very capable off-roader. Now Mahindra has taken it a notch higher, to make it luxurious and fun on the roads, while (hopefully) not losing it’s off-road capabilities.
Finally the Thar gets AT tyres as standard, Good riddance to the HT tyres..
The AX variant gets 16” tyres with white steel rims whereas the LX variant gets 18” tyres with alloys. The approach and departure angles are very aggressive too.
INTERIORS:
Now comes the fun part, the interiors. If there’s one thing missing in the current Thar, it’s the very basic interiors and creature comforts. Although the Thar was upgraded in 2015, the internals still remain very basic with major features including A/C, power steering and nothing else. Although the purists love this to death, Mahindra knows that they need to upgrade this to target a more mass market.
Hence, the new interiors are something that every fan was been waiting to see. Here’s what they look like:
The interiors and upholstery are washable and the front bucket seats look comfortable. The test-drive will shed more light on the comfort front.
SEATING CONFIGURATION:
In terms of seating configuration, the Thar AX variant will get side-facing rear seats, making it a 6 seater. On the other hand, the LX variant will get front-facing seats, making it a 4 seater. Of course, you will have the option to upgrade the seats to front-facing in AX series from the factory itself.
The LX variant also gets height and lumbar support for the front seats, which is not available in the AX variant.
ROOF OPTIONS:
The AX variant will be a fixed soft top by default, whereas the LX variant buyers will have an option to choose between the convertible or hard top roof. The convertible is an unexpected offering from Mahindra, and one that I am sure will be chosen by the lifestyle and off-road enthusiasts both.
COLOUR OPTIONS:
The new Thar is available in 6 colour options:
MY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:
Overall, I am happy with the attempt made by Mahindra. They seem to have found a balance between the creature comforts and off-road capability of the Thar. Launching the Thar in 2 variants means that they can target a much larger market.
I am not a very big fan of the new front look. But I am sure that there will be plenty of after-market parts including grills and bumpers available soon to change and customise the look.
Now, the success will depend on the price of the new Thar. To my surprise, Mahindra has not declared the price of the new Thar 2020 today. The price will be revealed on October 2, 2020 and bookings will also open on that date. However, there have been reports of dealers starting to take bookings from now itself.
Some parting pics of the new Thar
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