The Mahindra Thar received major upgrades in 2020 as the new-generation model was launched in India. Since then, the demand for the Thar has always been high and this is reflective of the waiting periods that are present for the SUV.
- Thar 2WD was launched in January 2023
- More affordable 1.5-litre diesel engine available solely on 2WD
Mahindra Thar 2WD price, waiting period
In January, Mahindra launched the new Thar 2WD version that did not get any of the off-road kits. The waiting period for the 1.5-litre Thar 2WD diesel is currently at 17 months. Meanwhile, the petrol-powered Thar 2WD has a waiting period of about a month.
The Thar 2WD gets Mahindra’s D117, a 1.5-litre diesel engine that produces 118hp and 300Nm of torque. This engine was available in the XUV300 and the Marazzo, however, there is no automatic gearbox on this Thar 2WD diesel, instead only a 6-speed manual gearbox.
The petrol, 2.0-litre mStallion is carried over from the Thar 4WD and this engine produces 152hp and 300Nm of torque with only a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. The price of the Thar 2WD is considerably lower than the 4WD models. The 2WD diesel starts at Rs 10.54 lakh and the 2WD petrol starts at Rs 13.49 lakh.
Mahindra Thar 4WD price, waiting period
The waiting period for both petrol and diesel variants of the Thar 4WD is about a month, our dealer sources tell us. The 4WD is available in two engine options: the 2.0-litre petrol mStallion mentioned above and a 2.2-litre diesel engine that produces 132hp and 300Nm of torque. Unlike the 2WD variants, the 4WD's come with the option for both 6-speed manual and automatic gearboxes.
Apart from the standard equipment, the Thar 4WD also gets four-wheel drive with a manual-shift 4x4 transfer case, and some models have a manual-locking differential. The 4x4 models are also offered with a convertible top option.
Prices for the Thar 4x4 petrol start at Rs 13.87 lakh and for the diesel variant start at Rs 14.49 lakh.
A sign of changing times for the Thar?
When it was launched, the 2.2-litre diesel engine was the popular option for the Thar and accounted for a majority of the sales. The initial waiting period would even cross a year for the 2.2-litre Thar, however, this has now dropped to about a month thanks to the introduction of the more affordable model, the 1.5-litre diesel RWD Thar. Due to the smaller engine and the absence of off-road systems, this Thar RWD has been priced competitively and the waiting period for this model has now shot up to almost 1.5 years.
Would you wait for more than a year for a rear-wheel-drive diesel Mahindra Thar? Or would you opt for something else?
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
