 |
| Mahindra Thar 2020 |
In 2010, Indian automobile manufacturer Mahindra began a new chapter with the Thar brand. It was one of the most rustic off roader one could buy at that time. But now, the new Mahindra Thar 2020 is all set to take the level of off roading in India to a next level. The new Mahindra Thar is available in two models, AX OPT and LX. Here, we will take a look at the new Mahindra Thar and see where it stands to its competition.
Also read : Electric SUVs available in India
Exterior
 |
| Mahindra Thar front |
This time, Mahindra has completely revamped the overall aesthetics of the SUV, but at the same time they have kept intact the old school box shape design which matches the off roading capabilities of the vehicle as well as the true SUV characteristics. The dimensions stand at 3985mm x 1855 mm x 1844 mm. the ground clearance is at 226mm. In the front, it gets circular halogen headlamps and a 6 spoked grille. The lower part is completely covered with plastic cladding which continues along the side as well as rear. The vehicle comes with only 3 door option as of now. The door stills get the naked hinges which adds to the rough look of the vehicle. The fog lamps are integrated into the body cladding itself. On the rear, it gets its 18 inches spare wheel mounted on the rear door. It also gets a moveable rear glass. Overall, the vehicle looked like a rugged off roading SUV making a huge contrast to the vehicles of its segment/price. The new Thar looks similar to a legendry American off-roader, the Jeep Wrangler which costs around six times the cost of the new Thar.
 |
| Mahindra Thar front |
Build quality
The vehicle houses a lot of plastic cladding which makes a
person think of its build quality. It is based on a ladder frame chassis which
makes it a reliable vehicle for off-roading. But here, the Thar has surprised
all of us with its 4-star GNCAP safety rating, which makes it the safest true
off roader SUV under 20 lakhs. It gets ESP with roll over mitigation, ABS with
EBD as standard, dual airbags, roll cage, panic braking signal, etc. Overall,
the vehicle is well built and as it is made for off roading scenarios, the
build quality is one of the advantages that this vehicle gets.
Engine and transmission
 |
| Mahindra Thar transmission |
The new Thar comes with 2 engine options. The 2-litre mHawk 130 diesel engine produces 130bhp of power and 300 Nm of peak torque while the 2-litre mStallion 150 TGDi petrol engine produces 150 bhp of power and 300 Nm of torque. The petrol engine is highly refined and can be used as a daily city runner. Coming to the transmission part, the lower variants get a 6-speed manual transmission and the top variants gets an additional 6 speed torque converter automatic. The transfer case has 3 modes 4WD drivability, which are 4 low, 4 high and 2 high for 2-wheel drive mode.
Wheels and Brakes
The lower variants of Thar get 245/75 R16 tyres while the
top variants get the 255/65 R18 tyres. It gets 303mm disk brakes at the front,
282mm drum brakes at the rear and these come with vacuum assisted dual
hydraulic circuit. There is an Independent double wishbone front suspension
with coil over damper and stabiliser bar and a multi solid rear axle suspension
at the rear.
Interior and comfort features
 |
| Mahindra Thar Dashboard |
 |
| Mahindra Thar Seating |
Infotainment and Multi Information Display
 |
| Mahindra Thar Infotainment System |
The new Thar gets a 17.8cm touchscreen infotainment system with in-built navigation. The overall touch response is fluid and there are very minute lags during transition. This system includes 4 speakers and 2 tweeters for the top variant only. The sound quality is not the best in the segment, but it’s acceptable. It gets a colour MID in the front. Additional features include adventure statistics, tyre pressure monitoring system, tyre direction monitoring, BlueSense application connectivity, voice commands and SMS read out.
 |
| Mahindra Thar Multi Information Display |
Off Roading features
 |
| Mahindra Thar Off Roading Features |
The new Thar is made for off-roading purpose and here it has a lot of techs integrated. On the front axle, it gets electronic driveline disconnect, mechanical locking differential, brake locking differential, welded tow hooks in front and rear, tow hitch protection, etc. Also, not to forget the off roading information that is displayed in real time of the infotainment display. The doors can also be removed for heavy off roading. The approach angle, departure angle and breakover angle stands at 41.8, 36.8,27 degrees respectively.
Drive and mileage
The overall drive of the new thar can be divided into two parts, namely the off-road condition and the normal city/highway condition. No doubt the car will handle the off-road condition in a well manner as it is built for this purpose only. Now coming to the city/highway drive, the vehicle will not disappoint the passengers. The driver sits at a good commanding position which many people like. Where the car misses on is in the comfort factor. as it is built on the ladder frame chassis, and with a very stiff suspension, the car doesn’t provide the comfort level like that of its competition. The petrol Thar will give around 9-11 Kmpl of mileage in city conditions, while the diesel will give around 15-17 Kmpl of mileage.
Also read: How to increase the mileage of your car
Price and conclusion
The Mahindra Thar price starts at 12.12 lakh starting ex-showroom price which goes up to 13.96 lakh for the petrol variant and 12.32 lakh – 14.17 lakh for the diesel variant, you get a sub 4-meter SUV which has proven off roading capability, modern interiors and a standout design. But is this a car suitable for all? The answer is no. this car is not as practical as its competition in terms of pricing, but you get things which no other can offer in this price range. This car is for those people who want to spend their weekend for off roading as well as a daily city driver. For practical buyers, other options are available which competes Thar in its pricing like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Tata Harrier and the upcoming Skoda Kushaq etc. None of these cars gets off roading features like the Thar gets but these cars will appeal to a lot more people because of their premium feel, a lot of tech features and most importantly, a family car, which the Thar isn’t.
Also read :
- All new Tata Safari review, price, specs,etc
- know about Tesla Model 3 coming to India, click here
- Best car under 5 lakh in India
0 Comments
If you have any doubt, please let us know