The Mahindra Thar will soon get a new powertrain option, along with a new variant addition. The SUV will get a new 1.5 diesel that will join the line-up, and the currently comes with a 2.2-litre diesel and a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. The addition of the 1.5-litre diesel engine will also help the Thar qualify in the lower tax bracket since it is under four meters long. The Thar 2WD was shown to dealers at an event in Igatpuri last month.
- Thar 1.5 will be 2WD only
- Thar 2.0 turbo-petrol will also get 2WD
- Both variants will be on sale in January
Thar 1.5 2WD: new entry-level variant
The 1.5-litre engine in the Thar will be the same 1,497cc unit that sees duty in the Marazzo, which will churn out 117hp. This engine will be mated to a five-speed manual gearbox only, with no automatic on offer. Additionally, this engine will only get a 2WD option, and not the 4WD that is seen on the more expensive Thar 2.2-litre diesel. This, along with the benefits for sub-four-metre vehicles will help Mahindra price the Thar more competitively in the Indian market.
Thar 2.0T 2WD petrol also incoming
Apart from the new 1.5-litre diesel engine, Mahindra will also offer a 2WD variant on the Thar with the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. Similar to the 1.5-litre diesel 2WD, the Thar 2WD 2.0 petrol will also come with a six-speed manual gearbox only.
Thar 2WD could get a sub-Rs 10 lakh starting price
When Mahindra introduced the now discontinued Thar AX, it was priced at Rs 9.8 lakh for the entry-level soft-top variant equipped with the 2.0-litre petrol engine. The AX with the 2.2 diesel manual and 4WD, on the other hand, was priced from Rs 10.2 lakh. With the exclusion of 4WD, and the addition of the smaller 1.5-litre unit, Mahindra could avail excise advantages the smaller engine offers and price the Thar 1.5 2WD below the Rs 10 lakh mark – atleast for the entry-level variant. This could also give Mahindra a competitive advantage over the upcoming Maruti Jimny, which is expected to have a starting price upwards of Rs 10 lakh.
Mahindra Thar 2WD launch timeline
Sources tell us that the Thar 2WD with the smaller 1.5-litre diesel and the 2.0 petrol will go on sale sometime in January 2023, which is also the same month Maruti Suzuki will take the wraps off the 5-door Jimny at the Auto Expo 2023. Mahindra, however, will not be present at the Auto Expo this time.
from Autocar Indiahttps://cdni.autocarindia.com/ExtraImages/20221223122551_Thar.jpg
