One of the most liked cars for people searching for an off-road vehicle has always been the Mahindra Thar. However, since most people hardly ever travel off beaten roads with their SUV, Mahindra released a more reasonably priced two-wheel drive model for people who prefer not to have the four-wheel drive gear. The success of the product speaks for itself, as half of all Thar sales in India come from the RWD. Approximately half of the 6,000 Thars that Mahindra sells each month are rear-wheel drive (RWD) models.
While responding to a question about the production capacity during the investor meeting, Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director and CEO (Auto & Farm Sector), Mahindra & Mahindra, said, "On Thar, we have roughly out of the current sales that we do, which is about 6,000-odd a month, roughly half is four-wheel drive and the balance is two-wheel drive. Many reservations are made for two-wheel drive vehicles.
Mahindra Thar’s Evolution:
To reach a wider market by providing a more affordable option, Mahindra launched RWD variants in 2021, building on its rich legacy. Although they lack the 4WD's complete off-road capability, these versions retain the iconic Thar styling and are suitable for a range of driving situations. The potential for growth in the off-roading market and the aim to make the Thar available to a larger audience was the main reason behind the decision to introduce RWD versions.
RWD Variants Waiting period:
The rear-wheel-drive Thar waiting period is not going to reduce anytime soon, despite Mahindra's best efforts to pull off the demand. Mahindra has been increasing production across the board, but capacity problems with the engines further complicate matters for the Thar RWD versions. During the same investor meeting, Rajesh Jejurikar added, "We are not able to ramp up two-wheel drive production right now because the assembly line and manufacturing-related capacities beyond 3,000 are not there, only the engine-related capacity is. That will increase over time due to the engine's very specific 1.5-litre capacity, which enables two-wheel drive in addition to rear-wheel drive. That, then, is the particular limitation that prevents us from raising the Thar two-wheel drive's volume.”
Both the 1.5-liter diesel (118 PS/300 Nm) and the 2-liter turbo-petrol (152 PS/300 Nm) engines are available for these rear-wheel drive versions. While the turbo-petrol unit has both 6-speed manual and automatic gearbox options, the diesel engine is only equipped with a 6-speed manual gearbox.
On the other hand, Both the 2.2-liter (132 PS/300 Nm) diesel and the turbo-petrol engine are available for the four-wheel-drive versions. There are two gearbox options available for these engines: a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic.
Thar Features, Safety, Prices and Rivals
A 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, cruise control, manual air conditioning, steering-mounted controls, dual front airbags, hill descent control, traction control, rear parking sensors, and ISOFIX child seat anchors are all available features of the Mahindra Thar. It also has wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
A larger, five-door Thar with additional features like a sunroof, dual-zone air conditioning, and a digital driver's display is also being developed which is expected to make its debut in 2024's second half.
The Mahindra Thar is available for, between Rs 11.25 lakh and Rs 17.60 lakh, with the RWD versions pricing between Rs 11.25 lakh and Rs 14 lakh. The Maruti Jimny and the Force Gurkha are rivals to the Mahindra Thar, but only 4WD versions of each vehicle are available.
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