2020 Mahindra Thar Unveiled; Launch In October

10 years its taken for an all new generation of the Mahindra Thar to hit our shores and finally we get to see what it looks like. The company has said that the Thar will be launched on October 2, 2020 and bookings will start from then as well. The Thar has had a cult following in India and the new generation is expected to take this to new heights. The Thar will be made available in the AX and LX series. But let's take a closer look at what the Thar has to offer

The 2020 Mahindra Thar will be launched in the AX and LX series

Design

The second-generation Thar is significantly bigger than its predecessor, but will retain its boxy silhouette. Then there are the familiar elements like circular headlamps but they're now surrounded by LED DRLs which give the Thar an upmarket look and it's not overdone too. It gets LED tail lights, tailgate-mounted spare wheel and new 18-inch alloy wheels finished in black among others. We also get to see Thar engraving on the wing mirrors and LED taillights. While it retains the same design as its predecessor, there's a bit more premiumness that has been added to make it a more lifestyle oriented car. The Thar will be

Interior

The premium offering now sees a spruced up cabin. Well- bolstered seats and ergonomically placed controls, sees the cabin take a big leap when compared to it's predecessor. The plastic quality too sees an improvement and you get faux carbon-fibre finish around the air con vents and you get new auto climate control. A big update inside is that you can hardly see any exposed sheet metal, which gives the cabin a better feel than the previous model. You also get to see some stylish elements like toggle switch controls, piano black finish on air-con vents and updated steering wheel with probably audio and telephony controls like you see on other new-age Mahindra models. Front facing seats are provided as an option on the AX variant.

Front facing seats are provided as an option on the AX variant.

You now get a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, auto climate control, power windows, remote locking, dual front airbags, rear parking sensors and speed alert system among others are expected to be on offer as.

Engines

Under the hood the Thar gets petrol as well as diesel engines. The petrol is a 2-litre unit which churns out 150 bhp and 320 Nm while the diesel is a 2.2 litre unit making 130 bhp. · The car also gets new gearbox options: 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission & 6-speed manual transmission mated to an authentic manual shift-on-the-fly 4x4 transfer case. The AX Series will only be available with manual transmission on both the petrol and diesel, while the LX Series will see the diesel get a manual and automatic transmission but the petrol will only be available with a automatic.