Mahindra Thar

Mahindra Thar Exterior Design

The second gen Thar looks far more modern than its more basic predecessor, and crucially, sits on the same Gen 3 ladder frame chassis as the Scorpio N – so it is tough. Despite its relative popularity, its look still draws attention wherever it goes. It wears its ruggedness on its sleeve, with chunky tyres, lots of body cladding, square fenders and exposed bonnet clasps.

Mahindra Thar Interior and Seats

It’s a hefty climb into the Thar cabin, and accessing the rear seat by folding the front seats is tricky, but once there, space is decent. Boot space however, is miniscule, so you may have to choose between rear passengers and luggage. The cockpit area is expectedly upright but refreshingly modern and well built, and you get a commanding view out of the cabin.

Mahindra Thar Features

The Mahindra Thar may be a focused off road tool but it does have some modern features this time around. This includes a touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple Carplay, remote locking and cruise control. Safety features include tyre pressure monitoring, ABS with EBD, dual airbags, ESC, hill ascent and descent assist and ISOFIX child seat mounts. But at this price there are some features missing – LED headlamps, a dead pedal, auto-dimming rear-view mirror and, crucially, a rear-view camera.

Mahindra Thar Off Road Features

The Mahindra Thar 4x4 has off road features like incline and lean angle readouts and a front wheel position indicator. The 2WD version is of course not as capable off road but it can handle more rough stuff than most family SUVs. The 4WD version is near unstoppable off road with strong basics like high approach (41.8deg), departure (36.8deg) and ramp breakover (27deg) angles. It also gets a mechanical locking rear diff and manually engaged low-range gearbox.

Mahindra Thar Engine, Mileage and Performance

The Mahindra Thar is available with one petrol engine and two diesel engines, with manual and automatic gearboxes. The Thar 2WD gets a 1.5-litre diesel, while the Thar 4WD gets a 2.2-litre diesel; both versions get a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine. The 1.5 diesel doesn’t feel down on performance, while the 2.2 feels ample. The petrol engine feels very strong too but its fuel efficiency is very poor, returning no more than 7-8kpl.

Mahindra Thar Ride Comfort and Handling

The Mahindra Thar comes with the usual drawbacks of a ladder frame vehicle, including a bouncy low-speed ride and a heavy hydraulic steering that kicks back over bumps. However, it also has a solid feel at higher speeds and simply demolishes bad roads when you go faster. You get a commanding view from the driver’s seat but you have to be aware of the wide bodywork of the car.

Mahindra Thar Price and Verdict

The second gen Mahindra Thar has proven to be a huge success, with waiting periods regularly stretching into several months. The new 2WD variants have given it a reasonable price (Rs 9.99 lakh to Rs 10.99 lakh) for those not interested in serious off roading. For those who are, the 4WD version is seriously capable but then it costs roughly Rs 4 lakh more. Still, those who want a capable recreational off roader have never had it better.