Mahindra Thar 2020: What Makes It An Urban SUV?

Contemporary looks, new engines and automatic transmission options – the Thar is no more the SUV we knew

The macho SUV from homegrown automaker made its world premiere on the Independence Day. The new Thar will be launched on 2^nd October 2020. The UV maker has ensured the Thar gets in line with the mainstream SUVs and people should not think of it as only an off-roader. Be it looks, performance or features; the 2020 Thar has excelled everywhere and has become a more versatile SUV.

It’s easy to live with the new Thar as it becomes more urban now. The fit and finish are almost perfect. Gone are the panel gaps and thunk sounds of door and tailgates shutting. To keep its off-roading capabilities intact, it continues to be offered with body-on-frame chassis.

Let’s have a look at how far the new Thar has gone to convince urban buyers that it’s a practical SUV.

Performance Capabilities Compared

The new Thar has gone up in many aspects of performance in its latest avatar. Of course, the prime reason for the digits to change has been the bigger 18-inch alloy wheels in the top-spec LX variant.

The ground clearance has risen by 26mm to 226mm. The differences in the approach, breakover and departure angles have strengthened its off-roading abilities.

Engine and Specifications

The new Thar brings new engine options and a petrol motor for the first time ever. It also gets an automatic option which was never seen before. The earlier 2.5-litre diesel motor is replaced with a new 2.2-litre engine which produces more power and torque. It continues to be a 4WD vehicle.

Have a look at how the specifications of old and new Thars compare.

Not only engines but Mahindra has also replaced the suspension set up as well. It gets the latest multi-link rear suspension along with the brake locking differential as against the mechanical locking differential earlier.

Style

Mahindra has not played with the critical bits of Thar’s styling – the round headlamps and vertical slat-grille. Besides that, the SUV has become more sensible and ‘cultured’ with sophisticated styling. The sculpted hood now looks more powerful. It gets LED DRLs, new fog lamp housing and all-around body cladding for the rugged appeal. The pronounced wheel arches along with side steps continue to give the Mahindra Thar a sturdy appeal.

It is available in three variants – AX, AX (O) and LX. The entry-level AX gets 16-inch alloy wheels whereas the LX gets 18-inchers. You get three options in terms of the roof with the new Thar – hardtop, soft top and convertible (roof retracts and opens up on its own).

The height of the Thar from the rear now looks more due to the factory-fitted hardtop. The squarish tail lamps with LED DRLs add a nice touch to its clean layout.

Interior

The 2020 Thar has become chic with a plethora of convenience and premium features. The ergonomics have also improved to a great degree. To keep dust and water away, it comes with an IP rating of 54. The highlight is the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. The intuitive system also displays various on-road and on-off road stats. The rear seats are available in two arrangements – the regular jump seats facing each other (AX variant) or rear row facing the front (LX variant). The entry to the rear row in the two-door Thar is from the front – similar to a 7-seat SUV where the second-row seat slides forward to make room for ingress.

Features

The 2020 Mahindra Thar gets a good dose of comfort and convenient features. It gets cruise control, steering-mounted audio and phone controls, 50:50 split rear seats, roof-mounted speakers, height and lumbar support adjustable driver seat, tilt-adjustable steering, power windows, remote flip key, electrically adjustable ORVMs, rear demister (hardtop) and tyre pressure monitoring system.

Safety

The aspect which was almost absent in the earlier Thar has now been addressed. It gets the mandatory ones like the pedestrian-safety complying bonnet, dual airbags and ABS with EBD. The 2020 iteration goes a notch higher with the addition of ESP with rollover mitigation, roll cage, speed-sensing door locks, ISOFIX child seats and rear parking sensors.

CarBikeIndia says

The 2020 Thar has certainly added that bling to qualify for a mainstream urban SUV. The styling upgrade coupled with refined engines makes the Thar an SUV to watch out for in the coming months. However, the pricing of the Mahindra Thar would be the key here to decide whether it will scale to new heights or falls flat.

Stay tuned to CarBikeIndia as we bring you new Mahindra Thar prices on 2^nd October 2020.