Mahindra Thar

The Mahindra Thar was first exhibited at the Indian Auto Expo in 2010 and ever since it has attracted a lot of prospective buyers, especially enthusiasts. It is the first car from Mahindra to get an oil-burner BS IV CRDe engine and a soft-top. The car comes in three variants DI 4x2, DI 4x4 and the CRDe 4x4 with AC. The Mahindra Thar is reminiscent of the age-old sturdy Jeep that villagers in India used for many years. This new one is however revived with many changes still keeping the retro look intact. The round headlamps and front grille accentuate the same. The side indicators have been placed on the wheel arches, which is cost effective and old school. The rectangular front glass frame is hinged on to the front and can be dropped onto the bonnet,
just like we see in the movies. The broad tyres with alloy wheels further enhance the bold, sturdy and muscular look of the car. The Thar has three doors, two at the front and one at the back of the car. The overall looks of the Thar are very similar to that of the old Mahindra SUVs and in turn the American Jeeps, which have made a substantial contribution to Mahindra’s utility line-up through their (now defunct) partnership. The car gets simplistic and minimalist design inside. Being an off-roading vehicle there is not much focus on luxury but still the vehicle gets comfortable seats. The rear seats have been placed longitudinally, to accommodate more passengers and that is surely of big help on rural roads. The instrument cluster is simple and the dashboard also has basic components with a blower and a heater, while the AC is retro-fit, introduced recently based on feedback. The Mahindra Thar is powered by a 2.5-litre diesel engine that produces 105bhp and 247Nm of torque that is delivered through a five-speed gear-box. The 4x4 variant gets a Borg Warner manual shift with low reduction gear. The car brags about the Drive by wire technology which helps for a quicker and better controlled throttle response. As there is no power-steering, the steering wheel is big enough to ease the efforts required for turning. The car gets disc brakes in the front with nine-inch boosters and drum brakes at the rear wheels. The Thar has incredible off-roading capability with the low gearbox and four-wheel-drive, but it stands out among the pseudo SUVs mainly due to its capacity to take enormous amount of beating. The Mahindra Thar has a cult following among off-road junkies, who have just two other options in the entry-level segment - the Maruti Gypsy and Force Gurkha. The Thar is available in five colours – Diamond White, Mist Silver, Fiery Black, Toreador Red and Rocky Beige.

Mahindra Thar Models
Diesel Models
Mahindra Thar DI 4X2
This trim is equipped with features like an improved dashboard with additional utility space, strong tabular chassis, comfortable front seats, rear seats with 5-passenger capacity and an adjustable windscreen. Powering this trim is the 2.6-litre diesel engine that displaces 2523cc and it is coupled with a 5-speed manual gearbox. It can generate 63bhp in combination of 182.5Nm between 1500 to 1800rpm. This trim is available with a front wheel drive option and it can produce a mileage of 18.06 Kmpl.

Mahindra Thar DI 4X4
This variant has all the features that are already available in the DI 4x2 trim. In addition to those, it is incorporated with a four wheel drive option.

Mahindra Thar 4X4
This trim is available with features like an air conditioning system with heater, power steering and LPSV brakes. It comes equipped with an advanced 2.5-litre CRDe engine that comes incorporated with a drive-to-wire technology. It can churn out 103.6bhp at 3800rpm in combination with 247Nm between 1800 to 2000rpm. This torque output is distributed to all the four wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox, which is further accompanied by BorgWarner manual shift transfer case.


Mahindra Thar mileage
Mahindra Thar comes with three variants and two engine options. Both the engines however are diesel operated, hence their mileage capabilities and the fuel economy are maintained accurately. The DI engine has a 2523cc displacement , which is enough power to handle exceptional off road skills as well as interior comfort features. The CRDe engine of the Mahindra Thar offers an equally decent performance with its BSIII complaint standard. The vehicles are equipped with five speed manual transmission, which is perfect for the off road capabilities as the control of the vehicles maneuvering remains a treat through out. The CRDe turbocharged and inter-cooled engine offers a city mileage of 13.25 Kmpl, while the same on highways escalates to 16.55 Kmpl. The DI version however offers an amazing 15.03 Kmpl mileage though the company claims it can go as high as 16.55 Kmpl under perfect conditions.

Power of Mahindra Thar
The one thing any off road vehicle needs to possess is its power. The more powerful a vehicle it, the more off road capabilities it can offer. With a powerful NEF CRDe engine, Mahindra Thar offers an amazing strength to the vehicle, which is best suited for off road capabilities. The vehicle's 103.6bhp output at 3800rpm and a stunning torque of 247Nm at 1800 to 2000rpm are definitely a treat to customers who are looking forward to have a adventure filled driving experience .

Acceleration & Pick-Up
Mahindra Thar is offered with a five speed manual transmission system, which successfully clubs the capabilities of the powerful engines and transforms them into speed and power, which customers can visually see and feel. The CRDe engine is specifically a 2498cc engine, which means that it has a very decent acceleration and pickup capabilities. The Mahindra Thar takes 17 seconds to go from 0 to 100 Kmph , while the top speed offered by the vehicle is an amazing 155 Kmph. The DI engine version however takes 19.5 seconds time to catch up from 0 to 100 Kmph.

Mahindra Thar Exteriors
Exteriors of Mahindra Thar are beyond beauty and are aptly suited to be called sheer brilliance. All the variants feature the same exterior build, so other than the performance, the dimensions and other exterior appeal of the vehicles remain the same. Mahindra Thar has a powerful build, which sums up as robust, rigid and extremely durable. Being the first ever SUV in the country, Mahindra Thar not just inspired the future generations of SUVs, but also retained its leadership regardless the competition. The vehicle comes with an amazing build with parts just structured and sculpted together forming the design. The pieces of design such as bonnet, wheel arches, doors and even the roof do not blend into anything , but just gets connected offering an authoritative look to the vehicle. The vehicle also comes with a strong and powerful set of wheels, which strictly means to tear the roads apart with their powerful design. The front fascia of the Mahindra Thar offers a traditional design with a large front grille, which covers most of the front fascia. The headlamps have a small protector grille, so that they would not be affected by the off road adventures of the vehicle. The front bumper is a rigid structure, which extends over the vehicle to avoid any bushes, rocks or obstacles on the way. The bumper guard has two additional headlamps. The snorkel offered in the vehicle actually acts handy for extreme off roading so that the vehicle engine gets its due air intake. The Mahindra Thar's build is no doubt, a show stealer but the traditional design in terms of the wheel arches which geometrically extend along the wheels which themselves are prominent out of the vehicle.
Exterior Measurement:
The exteriors of Mahindra Thar do not just look good, but also measure accurately. The front track of the vehicle measures to 1445mm for the CRDe version, while the same is 1314mm in the DI variant . The rear track too is higher in CRDe version at 1346mm compared to the 1295mm in DI version. The overall length of the CRDe models is 3920mm, while the same in the DI models is slightly less at 3760mm. The overall width of the vehicle is 1710mm for the CRDe variants and 1640mm for the DI engine variants. The wheelbase of the vehicle is same in both the engine models at 2430mm. The overall height however can again be noted to differ at 1930mm for the CRDe variants, while the same is 1904mm for the DI versions.

Mahindra Thar Interiors
Interiors of Mahindra Thar justify its off road capabilities. Though they fall short in offering a more contemporary design statement for interiors, considering their off road skills, the interiors seem to match the requirement. The interiors have seats which are water resistant hence would not affect the passenger comfort , while driving in the odd environments. The rear passengers can be seater comfortably in an opposite seating arrangement. For extremely odd weather conditions, the soft top can be found useful though it is not exactly an equivalent to a hard top.
Interior Comfort:
Being an off road vehicle, this Mahindra Thar is not expected and hence is not offered with luxurious interior features. However the spacing is good so the passengers can at least have a comfortable driving experience. The off road capabilities however come without any interior comforts when compared to luxury sedans or luxury SUVs.
Interior Measurement:
The wheel base of 2430mm explains volumes about the interior spacing of the vehicle . The spacing allows seven passengers to commute comfortably. The fuel tank capacity of the DI engine versions is 45 litres, while the same for the CRDe version is 60 litres.

Mahindra Thar Specifications
Engines
2498 cc, Diesel, 105 bhp @ 3800 RPM power
2523 cc, Diesel, 63 bhp @ 3800 RPM power
Gearboxes
5-speed, Manual, 4WD
5-speed, Manual, RWD
Seating Capacity
7 seater
Steering
Manual steering