Exclusive: New-Gen Mahindra Thar To Be Launched Post October

Car enthusiasts in India have been waiting for Mahindra to launch the new generation of the Thar. The company got us all excited when it told us that the Thar would be launched just after the end of the lockdown but now, it looks like we'll have to wait a while longer. carandbike can now confirm that the 2020 Mahindra Thar will hit the road post October this year, around the festive season.

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2020 Mahindra Thar will be launched post October in India

Speaking with Siddharth Vinayak Patankar, Editor-In-Chief- carandbike on the latest Freewheeling with SVP webisode, Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director, Automotive & Farm Division- Mahindra & Mahindra said, "If there's a product which can create connection, it's the Thar and we have seen that on all our digital platforms a huge interest around the Thar. We think the time is right. The Thar is little delayed obviously as everything went into lockdown for 6-8 weeks in April and most parts of May. That delayed the last steps of what we needed to do but when plants have opened towards the end of May and June, the work restarted and at this point of time we are saying early second half of the year (financial year). That means post October is when you should see the Thar on the road so we are in the final stages of complete readiness and we all are looking forward to a very good product."

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It will also get an optional automatic transmission.

The Thar has positioned itself as one of the most potent off-roader in the country, but also very rudimentary in nature. Jejurikar mentioned that with the new Thar, Mahindra is trying to change that image making it more refined and a bit sophisticated in appeal, but without compromising a bit on its off-roading credentials. In fact, it is not targeting any particular age group or set of buyers. In his words, the new Mahindra Thar is aimed to fit in the lifestyle of its owners and could be the first and only car in the family or one among others in the garage. In any case the idea is to up its versatility as a daily commuter that can also do shopping duties and of course can take on the rough without breaking a sweat, living up to the legacy of its predecessor. And the spy pictures too justify the claim.

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2020 Mahindra Thar will get new alloy wheels and LED taillamps.

The new Mahindra Thar will retain the typical boxy silhouette, but it will look a lot different, bigger and bulbous compared to its predecessor. Other elements like LED taillights and daytime running lights ring surrounding the headlamps are also expected. The cabin will be reasonably upgraded as well and other than comfortable seats, it's also expected to be better equipped in terms of features. A touchscreen infotainment system, auto climate control, dual front airbags, rear parking sensors and speed alert system among others are expected to be on offer as well. Under the hood, we expect to get a choice of petrol and diesel engines in the new Thar. The petrol motor is likely to be the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol mStallion engine and the diesel could be the 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine. Both engines are expected to be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard while there will be an optional automatic transmission as well.