Mahindra Thar received major upgrades in 2020 as the new-generation model was launched in India, leading to a high demand and an increase in the waiting periods.
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, while the 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 Stallion 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 ₹10.54 lakh and the 2WD petrol starts at ₹13.49 lakh.
The waiting period for both petrol and diesel variants of the Thar 4WD is about a month. The 4WD is available in two engine options — 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 ₹14.49 lakh.
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.
