When you think about Mahindra, off-roading naturally accompanies the thoughts. The home-grown carmaker Mahindra and Mahindra has no near rival in India that could match the performance of its off-roading vehicles. Among many such renowned car models, one name that still stimulates the vibes of auto buffs is Mahindra Thar. The SUV has now been launched in a new avatar at a price tag Rs. 8.03 lacs (ex-showroom, Nasik). The vehicle currently competes with the likes of Maruti Gypsy and Force Gurkha in the segment.
Launched way back in the year 2010, Thar is counted as a lifestyle forte product in the country and has been rolling out of the showrooms in a commendable numbers. But as refurbishing of cars has been the trend of Indian auto industry, Mahindra is also following the same spree. The all new Thar now comes with some substantial cosmetic upgradations to lure style conscious off-roading auto enthusiasts. However, mechanically the car continues to be the same.
Starting with the exteriors, 2015 Thar sports fresh plastic metal front bumper. The side profile of the car sports big foot rests and revised fender. The biggest highlighted change in new Thar is the addition of soft roof canopy that has been twisted a bit from the back. These added traits certainly add to the liveliness of the car. The side profile has been bolstered as well with revamped wheel arches and new side footboard. Rest, all the features like tail lamps and grille remains same except the addition of new clear lens headlamps.
Inside the cabin too, there have been many new updates in the SUV. While, the dashboard now features two tone colour option, some cabin aesthetics changes will appeal you for sure. Some additions on interiors are round shaped AC vents, wider and comfy seats and newly designed instrument cluster. In addition to this, extra convenience in the car comes with the presence of cup holders and steering wheel while gear Knob and HVAC control have been borrowed from top-selling Mahindra Bolero. Furthermore, the central console has been revamped with a Thar moulded badge in the centre. This means the lacklustre form of interiors has been tried to look lively in the new model.
As said earlier, the new Thar will remain same on power front. The car will continue to be housed with the same engine. The 2.5 L CRDe power mill can belt out 105 PS of power and 247 Nm of torque. In terms of transmission, the engine is mated to the same 5-speed gearbox with 4X4 mechanism.
So, with so many changes inside out, the new Thar will certainly win many Indian hearts and Mahindra will be able to roll out more Thar units than earlier. Well apart from this, the carmaker is also planning to introduce few more vehicles in India this year. The S101 micro SUV is to be pitted against the likes of premium hatches and three cars in sub 4-metre space will make their way in the ongoing year.Â
Mahindra is actually suffering from the low market share against the new rivals, so this makes the carmaker work hard in order to reclaim its lost charm in the industry.