Three engines are available for the Mahindra & Mahindra Thar: the base 118 horsepower, 300 Nm, 1.5-liter diesel engine paired with a 6-speed manual transmission; the 152 horsepower, 300 Nm, 2.0-liter petrol; and the 130 horsepower, 300 Nm, 2.2-liter diesel engines; both of which are available with rear-wheel drive. It is possible to choose between a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission for the 152hp and 130hp engines. Additionally, the petrol engine is supplied in both 4WD and RWD versions, whilst the diesel engine is only available in 4WD form. Instead of a mechanical locking differential, the Thar 4X4 has an electrical brake locking differential, which provides superior traction in low-traction conditions.
There are now 13 varieties of the Mahindra Thar, including eight diesel models and five petrol models. The base 1.5D AX(O) RWD starts at Rs 13.64 lakh (on-road Mumbai), and the most expensive 2.2D LX AT model costs Rs 20.99 lakh.
Given that the new Thar racked up over 15,000 bookings within the first three weeks of launch and 75,000 bookings within a year, it seemed clear that Mahindra & Mahindra would sell a lot of the product.
The Thar sold 14,186 units in the final six months of FY2021, and 37,844 units in FY2022, an increase of 166%. Sales for FY2023 totaled 47,108, a 24% YoY increase over sales for FY2022. The Thar has sold a total of 24,713 units in the first five months of FY2024, with monthly sales averaging 4,942 units. It is expected that over 60,000 units would be sold for the entire fiscal year.
Up till the end of August 2023, total sales were 123,851 units. Given the Thar’s and other popular Mahindra SUVs’ ongoing sales momentum, the 125,000-unit threshold would have been reached in the first half of September 2023.
Exactly 30 months after the SUV’s release on the market, on March 29, 2023, M&M announced the production of its 100,000th Thar at its plant in Nashik, Maharashtra.
After only one month of sales, the Mahindra Thar received a 4-star Global NCAP crash safety certification, which helped boost sales. The testing techniques used to determine this rating were outdated when they were revised in July of last year. Since then, M&M has released the new 4X2 version of the Thar, which resembles the 4WD model except for the absence of the 4×4 badge on the latter in January 2023. The Gurkha from Force Motors is the three-door Thar’s only current competition in India.
There has only ever been one recall in the Thar. M&M issued a voluntary recall on February 4, 2021, for 2,649 diesel-powered Thar vehicles that were produced between September 7, 2020, and December 25, 2020, to inspect an engine camshaft that may have had improper machining that escaped vendor quality control and could have resulted in loss of drive to the fuel pump and subsequent stalling.
Beginning in August 2021, M&M had a 281,000 unit order backlog, of which 68,000 units, or 24%, were Thars, demonstrating the continued demand for this model.
The Thar-e concept, which will be propelled by the Volkswagen APP550 electric powertrain, is the most recent addition to the Thar brand.
The Thar.e, according to M&M, is more than just the venerable off-roader’s electric evolution. According to Mahindra & Mahindra’s Chief Design Officer Pratap Bose, “creating Vision There was about embracing a future that is bold and imaginative. Our design forges a new course and exemplifies Mahindra’s dedication to cutting-edge innovation and unconventional thinking. Although we have preserved the adventurous attitude and off-roading prowess that are distinctly Thar, we have also created a distinctive character in the world of electric SUVs.
