Next-gen Mahindra Thar: NEW launch timeline revealed

Mahindra has been teasing us with the next-gen Thar for a very long time. We have seen spy pictures of the next-gen Thar right from when it was just a test mule. The production ready version could only mean that Mahindra will be launching this popular SUV in the market soon. Mahindra had planned to launch Thar in the market once the lockdown was lifted but, now according a report from Carandbike, the automaker is pushing back the launch to early October this year. The delay is because of the ongoing pandemic situation in the country.

Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra and Mahindra said in a meeting,

In my 41 years I have not seen a challenge what we have seen in the last 3 months. Supply change disruptions started in mid-Feb. This, lockdown and BS6 norms have had a big impact on business.”

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Just like most other sectors, the automobile sector was also affected by the Corona virus and the lockdown that followed after it. That is what has delayed the launch of Thar.

The Thar was a very popular vehicle in its segment and the next-gen Thar promises to be even more popular as it’s an entirely new,much improved vehicle. The next-generation Thar is based on a new platform which makes it wider and longer than before. What this means is that Thar is now more spacious on the inside. The only thing common between the current Thar and next-gen model is the quintessential ‘jeep’ shape.

On the outisde, it gets the signature vertical slats with round headlamps. The bumper on the new Thar has been redesigned and looks more mature than before. The bumper also houses the foglamps. The fenders have also been redesigned and the Thar also comes with an all black sporty looking alloy wheel.

The next-gen Thar is likely to come with a hardtop version. The hard top version is likely to be offered as an option for higher variants along with a sof top. The lower variants would continue to get soft tops. On the inside, the Thar will get redesigned cabin with features like cruise control, touchscreen infotainment screen, new instrument cluster and new steering wheel. There is a possibility that front facing seats for rear passengers will also be offered in the upcoming Thar. As mentioned above, the next-gen Thar will offer more space on the inside.

Engines offered on the upcoming Thar will be a 2.2 litre turbocharged diesel unit generating 140 Bhp and 300 Nm of peak torque. The engine will be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox with proper 4×4 transfer case. A 2.0 litre turbo petrol engine might also be introduced, with an automatic transmission option.

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