Off-roading is a sport that is mostly pursued by those who are willing to risk taking their expensive jeeps or SUVs off the beaten path. In late 2010, Mahindra launched its version of Jeep’s Wrangler, called the Thar. It was meant to be the Indian alternative to the Wrangler as it was locally produced and came with an affordable sticker price. It managed to lure quite a lot of off-roading enthusiasts and became pretty popular, making it the talk of the town among off-roading groups and forums. In 2015 however, Mahindra updated the Thar a fair bit so as to appeal to the modern crowd, showing off its off-road credentials. It is renowned for its rugged and durable appeal and also comes with a locking rear differential. For those not so keen to go off the road, the Thar still comes across as a practical everyday vehicle that can be daily driven to work and back.
Specifications
The overall silhouette of the Thar has one instantly think of the original Jeep Wrangler. The front bumper is well incorporated at the front. Most of the design details look rugged. Those wide fenders look cool. It gets clear-lens circular headlamps up-front and the seven slats in the grille. We also particularly like the curve-sided bonnet. From the side, it appears slab-like with classic lines. It also boasts of black footsteps and a soft-top canopy. And the alloy wheels are optional. At the rear, it sports rectangular tail lamps and a tail-mounted spare wheel. In terms of dimensions, the Thar is 3920mm in length, 1710mm in width and 1930mm in height. The wheelbase stretches across at 2430mm. The engine pulls effortlessly, and the motor is much more refined that before. The gearshifts aren’t particularly smooth and it feels heavy to some extent as well. The steering is nice and light and ‘4-low’ allows you to power your way through any obstacle. The Thar feels stable and high speeds, but the ride quality is a bit on the firm side. In terms of specifications, it gets a 2498cc, 4-cylinder diesel engine that makes 105bhp and 247Nm of torque . Paired to the engine is a 5-speed manual gearbox. The engine is BSIV compliant. Also, the base-spec trim weighs in at 1750kgs.
Mileage
The Mahindra Thar has a fuel tank capacity of 60 litres. In terms of mileage, the diesel manual model is capable of returning 13kmpl by ARAI, in BSIV guise.
Features
The dashboard and the entire cabin have a very simple and straightforward approach to them. While the steering seems to have been borrowed from the Bolero, the seats have been taken from the older Scorpio. You sit nice and high up on the driver’s seat, with the pedals close to you. The seats offer decent comfort and the fit and finish is nothing to write home about. Features include leatherette upholstery, AC with heater, windshield demister, floor console with cup holders, side-facing foldable rear seats, 12V power outlet, dual-tone dashboard, provision for 2-Din music system, mechanical locking rear differential and digital immobilizer. In terms of safety, it is equipped with ABS.
Colours
The Mahindra Thar is sold in seven shades: Diamond White, Fiery Black, Rocky Beige, Aquamarine, Mist Silver, Red Rage and Napoli Black. The paint quality and finish for all the shades is excellent. We particularly found the Fiery Black to be the most striking of all colours, but the one that’s sure to be a hit among Indian car buyers is Red Rage.
Brochure
All the details regarding the Mahindra Thar – namely, the engine, specifications, variant-wise equipment, colours, dimensions, interiors and exterior details are extensively covered in the company’s model brochure.
Variants and Prices
As of early 2020, the Mahindra Thar is available in three variants. The price for the base CRDe 4×4 AC variant is ₹ 9.6 lakh, the price for the CRDe 4×4 ABS variant is ₹ 9.75 lakh and the price for the 700 Special Edition variant is ₹ 9.99 lakh (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi). The variant-wise on-road prices are available at autoX.
For more on the Mahindra Thar, be sure to tune into autoX.