The all-new Mahindra Thar has created a lot of buzz ever since it was unveiled. We have already driven it and loved every bit of it. The prices still haven’t been announced and are scheduled to roll out on 2nd October. The first unit of the Mahindra Thar is going to be pretty special, apart from the fact that the person will get to own the first unit of this amazing homegrown off-roader. The first unit of the Thar will be auctioned and all the proceedings will go for charity.
More details
Registrations of the auction have already started and it will take place from September 24-27, 2020. Mahindra announced that the auction is meant to raise funds in the fight against COVID-19 and that the brand will donate a matching amount to the charity of the customer’s choice.
Mahindra will make sure that the winner of this auction gets treated in a special manner and what better way to do it than adorning their Thar with a ‘Thar #1’ badge and customised badging with the owner’s initials. The seat covers and a decorative plaque on the dashboard will also come with a serial number ‘1’. Apart from these cosmetic changes, the Thar will remain identical, both, cosmetically and mechanically. The proceeds from the auction and Mahindra’s matching amount can be donated to one of three organisations – the Naandi Foundation, the Swades Foundation and the PM Cares Fund. Prospective bidders will be required to put down a refundable deposit when they register.
The All-new Thar details
Compared to the older model, the new Thar has been tweaked to appeal to a new set of buyers and also those who liked what it offered but sat on the fence as it wasn’t a practical vehicle for everybody. Mahindra has addressed that and will offer the new Thar in two variants – AX and LX. The former will be presented to the hardcore fan and will offer 16″ steel wheels with a soft top and a six-seater configuration (sideways placed rear seats), manual AC and power steering and windows, while a hardtop and front-facing rear seats can be ticked through an option pack. On the other hand, the LX comes fitted with all the bells and whistles like LED DRLs and fog lamps, eight-way adjustable driver’s seat, tyre pressure monitoring system, auto AC, 7.0-inch touchscreen and 18″ alloy wheels.
The new Thar gets an updated version of the 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine which cranks out 130hp, 300Nm and will be available with a 6-speed manual gearbox and an optional, Aisin-sourced, 6-speed torque converter. If you like petrol engines, the 2.0-litre mStallion motor will also be on offer. It cranks out 150hp of power and 300 Nm (MT), 320Nm (AT) of torque. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Colours on offer are – Red Rage, Mystic Copper, Napoli Black, Aquamarine, Galaxy Grey and Rocky Beige.
Also read: New Mahindra Thar 2020 Flaunts Off-Roading Capabilities In New Video
Inside, things look contemporary and there’s a new steering wheel with buttons for cruise control and audio/telephone, while the central infotainment screen gets weather-proof controls and a dedicated screen to display off-road driving information, including wheel turn angle, tilt angle, engine temperature and lots more. The new Thar can wade through 650mm of water and offers an unladen ground clearance of 227mm and approach, ramp-over and departure angles of 42 degrees, 27 degrees and 37 degrees.