With starting costs starting at Rs. 9.99 lakh, Mahindra has introduced a new Thar model that is rear-wheel drive (RWD).
Story by Kurt Morris
Photography by Apurva Ambep
With the 2020 debut of the new Thar, Mahindra saw a significant increase in sales. Everyone was pleased with the sub-four-metre SUV’s updated design and feature-rich interior. Simply because of how it appears, the SUV has gained an aspirational status for many. Additionally, the 10x increase in sales is evidence that consumers like the new Thar.
Now to check out this new RWD Thar we invited a friend of Car India magazine, we asked Dr. Irisha Poonawalla to come and experience the Thar, as she had expressed a keen interest in this particular vehicle. In her field, Irisha is a respected and successful professional. She has devoted her professional life to assisting and bettering the lives of individuals in her community. She has a background in performing arts, specifically dancing, and a passion for jewellery design. Irisha continuously exhibits a commitment to having a positive impact on the world through her job in the jewellery industry or her content writing pursuits.
Dr. Irisha Poonawalla is as well-known for her enthusiasm for unique and stylish automobiles as her love of outdoor adventure activities like camping. The Mahindra Thar, a tough and adaptable SUV renowned for its exceptional ability, is one of her favourite cars to drive. Irisha appreciates the strength and adaptability of the Thar RWD, which she hopes to use for both cruising around cities and tackling rough terrain. It’s the ideal car for her active lifestyle with its roomy and comfortable interior. Irisha is always chic and in charge behind the wheel of her hatchback and is looking to take the leap to get into the Mahindra Thar, which would help her daily activities whether she’s running errands or going on a weekend trip.
The Mahindra Thar is a compact SUV that combines contemporary style with off-road prowess through a bold and tough design. Its robust construction, unique grille, and boxy form perfectly capture its daring nature. The Thar’s cabin is both practical and cosy, offering plenty of room for passengers as well as a number of innovations that improve the driving experience. The Thar is an ideal fusion of style and function because of its roomy cabin, flexible back seats, state-of-the-art electronics, and numerous storage possibilities. The Mahindra Thar is built to provide a superior driving experience, whether one is navigating rough terrain or skimming city streets.
You can spot a RWD variation of the Thar in its stunning new colours that are “Blazing Bronze,” Orange, or White, take note. It’s not yet known, though, whether these hues will just be available on the RWD. The colour “Blazing Bronze” was taken from the XUV300, so if you’re wondering whether you’ve heard of it before, you’d be right. There are also four other colours on offer: Napoli Black, Aquamarine, Red Rage, and Galaxy Grey. Taking in all the design detail, Irisha was compelled by the overall appeal of the Thar with its rugged and tough looks.
The large 18-inch all-terrain Ceat tyres that Irisha highlighted on the Thar made it look particularly striking and gave it a powerful presence on the road. Last but not least, when it came to the interior, Irisha really liked the high seating position because it made it easy for her to drive the Thar through the busy streets of our city and the unknowns of the outskirts she often frequents.
After exploring the urban jungle for a bit, we decided to head to those very outskirts of Pune to a stud farm and check out some stallions. Speaking of stallions, let’s talk about the engines powering the new Thar RWD. First, there is a 2.0-litre mStallion 150 TGDi turbo-petrol engine, with 152 hp and 320 Nm of torque. There is also a new 117 CRDe four-cylinder diesel engine, more efficient due to its smaller size, and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission to provide 119 hp and 300 Nm of torque. We were fortunate to get the more powerful mStallion turbo petrol engine. The engine is quiet and vibration-free, and the total insulation muffles outside noises as well.
Once we reached the stud farm after driving on the highway, Irisha commented on the Thar being loaded with features that she got to experience over this drive, stuff like the Touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay allowed her to connect her smartphone with ease and one feature that caught the eye of Irisha was the Adventure Statistics that is on display in the Thar, additionally Tyre Direction Monitoring System, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System helped her feel secure with the vehicle. We also highlight some of the other incredible safety features to her like the four-star GNCAP rating for both adult and child occupant safety, dual airbags, ABS, ESP, built-in roll-cage, three-point seat belts for all passengers, Hill-hold and Hill Descent Control. For Irisha safety is quite a big factor in a car as she drives a lot on the highway for her jewellery business and after she took note of all these aspects in terms of safety she was sold on the Thar.
On reaching the stud farm that was off the beaten path, we got a chance to show the all-road capabilities of the Thar RWD, With its tough build, high ground clearance, and generous approach and departure angles, it is capable of navigating challenging terrain with ease. The Thar’s suspension and chassis have been engineered to provide a comfortable and controlled ride, even on rough roads. Additionally, the car’s responsive steering and balanced weight distribution make it easy to manoeuvre, giving the driver a high degree of control and confidence. The Mahindra Thar’s steering and suspension are tuned to provide smooth handling and an enjoyable driving experience, on the highway or off it.
Just seeing the Thar parked at the stud farm right next to the horses really set the tone for the vehicle and added to its outdoor lifestyle credentials.
Ending our day at the stud farm with some high tea, just by the horse stables, we sat and reflected on the Thar and shared some details about the pricing with Irisha. The Thar has a very attractive price. The top-end RWD LX petrol AT variant costs Rs 13.49 lakh, while the entry RWD AX (O) diesel manual variant is priced at Rs 9.99 lakh, both ex-showroom. Only a hard top configuration is offered for both variations. The Thar RWD has a lot of potential. Given that the RWD model is more affordable and economical, it makes a lot of sense. Rear-wheel drive fun, a commanding driving posture, and an intimidating road presence are all included. After taking all of this information in, we are certain that we have a new customer for the Mahindra Thar as the good doctor plans to get herself one in the near future.
