Mahindra Thar 2020 has been launched in the Indian market from ₹9.80 lakh (ex-showroom) for AX trims and ₹12.49 lakh (ex-showroom) for LX trims. The SUV was originally scheduled to go on sale earlier this year, but plans were delayed due to the pandemic. It was then officially revealed in August and went on sale in the country starting Friday. Reservations for the new Thar have started at dealerships and the company’s website.
The second generation Mahindra Thar carries on the legacy of its predecessor, which was born almost a decade ago. The company claims that the 2020 Thar is a completely new model that is a more evolved version and caters to a broader set of customers thanks to its comfort-oriented and ‘road-friendly’ dynamics.
The company has used a completely new ladder frame chassis that underpins the 2020 Thar. The idea behind the chassis update is to improve overall driving dynamics without compromising its off-road capabilities, which is why the first-generation model is still adored. . Additionally, the new Thar’s suspension includes a multi-link setup that has been claimed to give the SUV a more road-friendly stance.
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On the outside, the Thar looks muscular as ever thanks to its widened wheel arches, flat top and classic round headlights. At the rear, it has the traditional-looking brick-style taillights, albeit in a modern LED avatar. The SUV is available with both a softtop and a hardtop and there are a number of exterior color options to choose from, including Red Rage, Mystic Copper, Napoli Black, Aquamarine, Galaxy Gray and Rocky Beige.
The company claims that great emphasis has been placed on increasing the SUV’s desirability factor with a significantly improved cabin featuring new comfort and convenience features, improved NVH levels, and reassigned second-row seat structure for customers who prefer Forward-facing seats rather than bench configuration. Some of the new cockpit features include a new dashboard design, a new compact steering and a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a color multi-information display, anti-shock speakers. roof-mounted weatherproof, mounted controls, cruise control and much more.
Moving on to the mechanical aspects of the new generation Thar, there are major improvements including new engine / transmission options. The SUV now has a new 2.0-liter ‘mStallion’ petrol engine that offers 152 hp of power and 320 Nm. The engine comes paired with a standard 6-speed manual gearbox and there is also an optional 6-speed automatic unit. The other powertrain option includes a 2.2-liter mHawk unit that produces 132 hp of power and 300 Nm of torque. This unit features a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard and an optional 6-speed automatic torque converter unit.
_1601622409158.jpg "The new Thar will be featured in both hardtop and softtop options.")
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Mahindra has also auctioned the first unit of the next generation Thar online for a bid amount of ₹1.11 million rupees. Akash Minda from New Delhi won the auction (as well as the car itself). The offer amount will be matched by the homegrown automaker and donated to charity as it seeks to help in the fight against Covid-19.
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