Mahindra has reached a production milestone with its Thar SUV as it rolled out the 1,00,000th unit from its manufacturing plant in Nashik, Maharashtra recently. The second-gen Thar has claimed this achievement after being on sale for close to three years since its initial launch.
The Thar was launched back in October 2020 and is the spiritual successor to the first-gen model that was launched in 2010. The SUV quickly became a fan favorite amongst off-roading enthusiasts, accumulating over 15,000 bookings within the first three weeks of its launch and 75,000 bookings within the first 12 months of its launch.
Just a month after its launch, the Thar 4X4 also secured a 4-star Global NCAP safety rating. However, this test was based on the old testing protocols before they were upgraded in July of last year. Since then, Mahindra has launched the new 4X2 version of the Thar (in January this year) which looks identical to the 4WD model, except for the lack of the 4x4 badge on the former.
The brand offers the Thar with three engine options. The first is the base 118hp, 300Nm, 1.5-litre diesel engine that’s solely mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and is offered in rear-wheel-drive guise. Then there are the 152hp, 300Nm, 2.0-litre petrol and the 130hp, 300Nm, 2.2-litre diesel engines.
These two units get the option of either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox, and while the diesel engine is only available in 4WD guise, the petrol is offered in both 4WD and RWD configurations. The Thar 4X4 also sports an electronic brake locking differential instead of a mechanical locking differential, which offers better grip in low-traction situations.
