We recently reported that Mahindra are going to be increasing the costs of the second-gen Thar from December 2020. Mahindra launched the SUV in October 2020 at an introductory price of Rs 9.80 lakh to Rs 13.75 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The carmaker has now stated that the revised pricing are going to be applicable to all or any bookings from December.
The price hike is predicted to be within the range of Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 and will be applicable to both petrol and diesel variants. Mahindra has introduced a petroleum engine with the second-gen Thar along side a replacement diesel. While the petrol engine may be a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit producing 150PS and 300Nm (MT)/320Nm (AT), the diesel may be a 2.2-litre unit that develops 130PS and 300Nm. Both the engines get a 6-speed manual unit as standard, while a 6-speed automatic also can be availed as an option. As a Thar staple, 4×4 drivetrain is standard on both the powertrains
While the Thar is already equipped with features like a height-adjustable driver’s seat and 7-inch infotainment system, Mahindra is looking to introduce front-facing rear seats on the lower-specced AX Std and AX variants to up the SUV’s safety quotient. That’s because its impressive four-star safety rating is merely applicable with front-facing seats. The carmaker has also presently put the bookings for these variants on hold and stated that the Thar has been sold out until May next year. To cope up with the demand, Mahindra has mentioned that it’ll be ramping up the Thar’s production from 2,000 to 3,000 units beginning January 2021.
It recently scored 4-stars within the Global NCAP crash tests. this will be attributed to the strong safety net of the SUV that boasts of ISOFIX child seat anchors, dual front airbags, ESC with rollover mitigation, and ABS with EBD.
While the Thar doesn’t have any direct competitors so far , it’ll go up against the upcoming second-gen Force Gurkha. Mahindra’s SUV also takes on similarly priced compact SUVs like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Renault Duster and Nissan Kicks.