In 2010, we saw the first generation of the Thar that was based on the legendary MM540. Now in its latest incarnation, brute, macho and muscular are 3 words that come to mind to describe this brute looking SUV
Driving the new Mahindta Thar makes the old one seem obsolete and out of time. You can easily compare this new Thar to any SUV in its class in terms of drive quality, feel, convenience and refinement.
While the older Thar was mostly for off-roading and weekend drives, the latest is also meant for daily commutes.
Exteriors
The front end keeps the Mahindra MM540 vibe alive with the six slot front grille and classic round headlamps along with DRLs on the fender. You also get Thar branding on the front bumper along with fog lamps. The fenders emphasize the width of the SUV and add character to the front and sides.
On the sides, you instantly notice the large 18-inch dark silver alloys mounted on Ceat Czar all terrain tyres, large fenders and wide step board. Front and real wheel arches get a nice chunky fiber cladding. There is also a removable hard top as well as the option of the retractable soft top. The doors can also be removed when needed.
The rear end on this brute looking SUV is mainly dominated by huge LED tail lamps with Thar badging that will surely go on to become iconic with time. The spare wheel mounted on the back door comes with alloys and looks imposing here. The rear windshield is openable upwards supported with gas shocks once you pull open the rear door.
Overall, it’s a very muscular, chunky, desirable look that’s high on fit and finish.
Interiors
For getting into the Thar you have to climb on to the step board first due to its real SUV height. Once inside you instantly notice the typical flat SUV like dashboard in all black and upright windshield. You also get a grab handle and round AC vents with faux carbon fiber surrounds.
The centre dash gets a 7 inch touch-screen infotainment unit that is also compatible with Apple CarPlay. This highly customizable display unit can read out a wide range of vital readings of the SUV which also includes a unique adventure statistics display.
The instrument cluster comes with easy to read dials and also a tft display in the middle. The steering is a three spoke design with metal aluminum inserts and neatly laid out multi function buttons. This steering is manually adjustable for height. The switchgear is ip54 rated for dust and water resistance.
The seats get all black upholstery while the driver’s seat gets height adjusts as well.
Getting in the rear is not as difficult as it might seem, just tumble the front passenger seat over and you are in. Rear seats come with adjustable headrests too. The entire cabin feels roomy and spacious and rear passengers get loads of legroom and knee room. The wheel well does intrude into the rear foot area hence the rear seating is strictly for two.
The entire cabin area including the seats can be washed with a hose pipe, the water gets out from the drain plugs that can be opened after a muddy outing.
Engine/Transmission
Powering the Thar are two engine options 0 2.2L BS-6 Turbo Diesel mHawk 130 unit that makes 130hp and 300Nm of torque and 2.0L BS-6 mStallion 150 motor that has 150hp of power and 320Nm of torque.
Both are developed in-house in India by Mahindra. Transmission options to go with these engines include a 6-speed manual and also a 6-speed Torque Converter Automatic.
The Thar now feels very nicely engineered and immensely refined. IT also comes loaded with the latest safety features – dual airbags, 3 point seat belts, crash safety complaint structure, ESP with roll over mitigation, hill hold control, hill descent control, ISOFIX child seats anchors, tyre pressure monitor etc.
For off-roading, the Thar comes with 4W drive with 4-high and 4-low range, electromechanical driveline disconnect (front axle), mechanical locking rear differential (mld), brake locking differential (bld) on front and rear axle to name a few. It also has a water wading ability of 650mm and ground clearance of 266mm with 18 inch wheels.
