Mahindra has unveiled the 2020 Thar in India, ahead of its official launch on October 2, 2020. This marks the entry of the second generation of Mahindra’s off-roader. Mahindra officials said that the Thar should be viewed as an icon of freedom, which is why the 74th Independence Day was chosen as the unveil day for the All New Thar.
The 2020 Mahindra Thar continues to feature the relatable silhouette that is inspired by the erstwhile Mahindr CJ3A from 1948. However, the company has made some very visible changes to the outside and inside of the vehicle in order to appeal to the masses.
Thought the overall shape of the new gen Thar is instantaneously recognisable, Mahindra designers have given it a modern twist. The front end gets circular headlampa placed inside deep recesses in the front grille plate. The grille itself is a wide unit with six prominent vertical slats, and is probably the only design element on the vehicle that looks a bit ugly. The front bumper is a dual tone black and beige plastic unit that also houses a couple of fog lamps on either side. The side profile shows a longer wheelbase, black plastic cladding, hexagonal wheel arches at the front and circular ones at the rear. Mahindra has elongated the wheelbase to house a forward-facing row of rear seats. It comes with 18-inch alloys that are shod with all-terrain tyres. The rear end gets boxy taillights and a tail-mounted spare wheel.
In addition to the contemporary design, the new gen Thar also gets added convenience and safety features. Some of these features include a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, cruise control, rear parking camera, steering mounted audio controls, power-folding mirrors, and a coloured MID inside the instrument cluster. Occupant safety is taken care by the presence of dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, ISOFIX child seat mounts, hill-start and descent assist, and roll over mitigation.
The 2020 Mahindra Thar is built on a new ladder on frame chassis. The front end gets an independent suspension while the rear gets a multi-link setup. There are two power options on offer – a 2.0-litre mStallion petrol that churns out 152PS and 320 Nm of peak torque and is available with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard. Mahindra is also offering the option of a 6-speed automatic with this unit. Meanwhile, the 2.2-litre Mhawk diesel is capable of generating 132 PS and 300 Nm od torque. This powerplant is also available with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic from Aisin.
Upon the 2020 Thar’s launch, Mahindra will have only two direct competitors in this segment – the new Force Gurkha, and Maruti Suzuki’s upcoming Jimny.