The all-new Mahindra Thar is finally here and those who’ve been queuing up to buy one or are about to, are facing a dilemma. The new Thar is offered with three rooftop options – a hardtop, a soft top and one which blows it away to offer infinite headroom. Among these, the hardtop option seems like the logical choice, given our conditions. However, the convertible soft top has a strong pull as it matches with the Thar’s outdoorsy appeal and offers the joys of open-top motoring at a fantastic price.
Many have been wondering if the foldable canvas top is weather-proof and how much effort does it take to fold it down or bring it back up when the clouds begin to leak? Mahindra has released a video where the all-new Thar’s convertible roof is folded down just by unzipping a few zippers and releasing two clamps above the windscreen. Here’s a video:
Many have been wishing for the Thar’s hardtop version to offer removable panels like the Jeep Wrangler, which would’ve kept practicality and the romance of open-top motoring together. However, no such option is available as of now.
The all-new Mahindra Thar has been launched at a starting price of INR 9.8 lakh for the base AX petrol version. Offered in two variants, the top-spec LX diesel manual trim asks for INR 12.95 lakh (all prices ex-showroom). For both trims, Mahindra offers 4WD and both petrol and diesel engines as standard. If you’d like an automatic transmission though, one has to shell out a little extra.
Mahindra offers 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. Colours on offer are – Red Rage, Mystic Copper, Napoli Black, Aquamarine, Galaxy Grey and Rocky Beige.