Mahindra Thar 4X2 with 1.5 liter diesel engine driven: Here’s what it feels like [Video]

Even after two years, the craze for Mahindra Thar hasn’t dwindled. Instead, the popularity and acceptance of the hardcore lifestyle SUV have only grown in these two years. Now, Mahindra is all set to broaden the customer base of the Thar by adding a new rear-wheel drive variant to its lineup. Mahindra will be bringing a new entry-level rear-wheel drive variant of the Thar with key changes over the currently-available four-wheel drive version of the SUV, all of which have been detailed in a YouTube video uploaded by Yash9w.

In this YouTube video, the presenter is seen driving the production-spec version of the rear-wheel drive Mahindra Thar on the roads of Chandigarh, which indicates that this new variant has already started reaching dealerships across the country. The video shows that the rear-wheel drive Mahindra Thar looks no different from its four-wheel drive version, as the SUV retains its upright and muscular design in the three-door guise.

Also read: Buying a pre-owned Mahindra Thar is better than buying a new one: 5 reasons

The interior of the rear-wheel drive Mahindra Thar also looks not much different from the four-wheel drive version, with the overall black-themed interior being the same. However, the additional lever for the four-wheel drive system placed near the 6-speed transmission lever has been replaced by a small storage space. Also, the rear-wheel drive version of the Mahindra Thar gets all the features like a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a multi-functional steering wheel with audio, Bluetooth, voice commands and cruise control buttons and a coloured MID in the instrument console.

New 1.5-litre engine

Apart from the switch to rear-wheel drive from four-wheel drive, this new variant of the Mahindra Thar also gets a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, instead of the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine from the four-wheel drive version. This new engine has been shared with the Mahindra XUV300 and claims 116 bhp of maximum power and 300 Nm of maximum torque. These figures make it only 14 bhp lesser power than the four-wheel drive version, which does not seem like a big miss on paper, as the torque output is still the same. The version seen in the video gets a 6-speed manual transmission, which is expected to be the only transmission option to be on offer.

The rear-wheel drive Mahindra Thar with a smaller 1.5-litre diesel engine will be positioned below the existing four-wheel drive Thar with the 2.2-litre diesel engine. With its lower asking price, the Mahindra Thar now is expected to find newer buyers, who want to have this lifestyle SUV at a more affordable price point but can live without the four-wheel drive version.

Also read: 10 DC Design cars & how they look in the REAL world: Maruti Swift to Mahindra XUV500