Mahindra fans can finally rejoice in a week’s time when the Thar is officially unveiled to the world at large. There have already been several enthusiasts lining up to buy the Thar ever since it was under development. The Thar is really an out-and-out off-road enthusiast vehicle and with people increasingly hitting weekend trails for a fun excursion, the Thar promises to be a good investment. Thanks to the meaty Common Rail diesel (borrowed from the Scorpio) and good old-school 4x4 mechanicals, the Thar promises to be quite a treat where the tarmac ends.
To make it better on road as well, there’s now power steering and an independent front suspension setup from the Bolero whilst the rear is still leaf-sprung. Air-conditioning is likely to be an option as may be a hard-top which is available on the South African version. The test vehicle which we spotted (see picture) is the standard soft-top and our sources tell us that white will not be a colour on offer and is only on the development vehicles, which is sad really, because the Thar does look quite striking in white.
There will be plenty of accessories for the Thar, so customization will be easy. According to some unconfirmed sources there just might be two engine options for the Thar. The flagship will be the Common Rail engine, but there just might be a cheaper Direct Injection variant too. Expect the price point for the cheaper variant to be between 4.5 – 5 Lakh Rupees and the flagship to start at 6.5 Lakhs.
Apart from just enthusiasts, those looking for a no-nonsense 4x4 may be quite interested in the Thar and some of these people may be the security forces, fire services and the police. And you know what they say about old Mahindra’s – they never die. They are just reborn with new hearts and beefier mechanicals to live another lifetime. We can’t wait to drive the final production vehicle!
