Goodbye, Mahindra Thar DI: All-new model to replace it?

Mahindra will soon launch the all-new Thar in the Indian market. The test mule of the upcoming Thar has been spotted in various regions of India and soon a special edition of the SUV will be launched in the market. Mahindra will launch the special edition of the Thar to mark the end of the current version of the model and will launch the all-new model by 2020. Mahindra has discontinued the base version of the Mahindra Thar and currently, it is available only with a single engine option.

The Mahindra Thar was available with the Direct Injection (DI) engine. The barebone version of the Mahindra Thar was also quite popular and was the choice of many in the rural areas. Currently, the Thar is only available in a single version, which is priced at a maximum of Rs 9.49 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi.

The Thar DI was offered with 2WD and 4WD variants. The price of the vehicle started at Rs 6.72 lakh while the 4WD variant came with a price of Rs 7.24 lakh. Both the prices, ex-showroom. The engine powering the Mahindra Thar DI was a 2.5-litre engine that produces a maximum of 63 PS and 195 Nm of peak torque. The CRDe version, which is still on sale is available with a 2.5-litre CRDe engine that produces a maximum power of 105 PS and peak torque of 247 Nm.

It should be noted that the Mahindra Thar does not offer basic safety features like the ABS (anti-lock braking system) and EBD (Electronic brake-force distribution). The mandatory ABS, EBD and airbag rule will become mandatory in all private cars sold in India from July 1, 2019. Mahindra instead will launch a special edition version that will be launching a special edition Thar that will offer these features in the Thar and will allow it to remain on sale in the Indian market.

Image courtesy Mud Fighters Off Road Club, Kerala

The BNVSAP rules will be implemented in the Indian market later this year. This is when the current version of the Mahindra Thar will go off the market. The current version of the Mahindra Thar does not meet the standard safety features. Instead, Mahindra will launch the all-new Thar in the Indian market by the end of this year of early next year. The all-new model will be substantially different from the current version of the Thar. It will look much wider and much different from the current Thar.

The all-new Mahindra Thar will offer a much more premium experience and will get front-facing rear seats. It will also get a touchscreen infotainment system and other creature comforts like automatic climate control. In its current form, the Mahindra Thar is criticised for not being comfortable enough to become a daily driving car. However, with the all-new version, it will change completely. The all-new Thar will also get powered by an all-new 2.0-litre engine.