Rear-wheel drive variants account for half of Mahindra Thar’s sales

• Approximately half of the 6,000 Thars that Mahindra sells each month are rear-wheel drive (RWD) models.
• The 1.5-liter diesel and 2-liter turbo-petrol engines are available for these RWD versions.
• Mahindra can only produce a restricted number of 1.5-liter diesel engines at this time.
• The rear-wheel drive versions may have longer waiting times as a result of this restriction.

In India, the most popular lifestyle off-road vehicle is the Mahindra Thar. Mahindra opened up the market for this off-road competent SUV last year by lowering the cost of models with rear-wheel drive. It was disclosed at a recent investor meeting that these rear-wheel drives Thar models account for almost half of the vehicle’s sales.

Statement from Mahindra

In response to a question regarding production capacity, Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director and CEO (Auto & Farm Sector), Mahindra & Mahindra, said during the investor meeting: “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” The two-wheel drive is what many reservations are for.

One of Mahindra’s best-selling models in the nation is the Thar, with models with rear-wheel drive accounting for about half of sales. This might be because these versions are more reasonably priced, making this tough-looking off-road vehicle more accessible. Additionally, it appears that only around half of the Thar’s purchasers are interested in off-roading seriously and are instead purchasing the vehicle for its appearance, road presence, and performance.

Time Waits for Thar Rear-wheel Drive

The rear-wheel-drive Thar wait times are not going to decrease anytime soon, despite Mahindra’s best efforts to keep them at a reasonable level. The Indian automaker 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.

The 1.5-liter engine, which transitions from rear-wheel drive to two-wheel drive, has a very specific capacity, so that will increase with time. Hence, that is the particular limitation on our ability to raise the Thar two-wheel drive’s volume.

The Mahindra Thar’s primary assembly and manufacturing capacities are centered on its 2-liter turbo-petrol and 2.2-liter diesel engines, both of which have been available from the vehicle’s 2020 introduction. Mahindra has not yet altered its manufacturing process, which will take time, and this new 1.5-liter diesel engine was only introduced last year exclusively for the Thar’s rear-wheel drive versions. Up until then, the waiting times for the rear-wheel-drive versions might go much longer because of this engine’s restricted production capacity.

Details of the Thar Engine Options

The 1.5-liter diesel engine (118 PS/300 Nm) and the 2-liter turbo-petrol engine (152 PS/300 Nm) are the available engines for this rear-wheel drive model. For the turbo-petrol engine, a 6-speed manual and an automatic transmission are available, whereas the diesel engine only has a 6-speed manual gearbox.

There are two engine options for the four-wheel-drive versions: a 2.2-liter diesel (132 PS/300 Nm) and a turbo-petrol engine. Options for the transmission for both of these engines include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic.

Features and Safety of Thar

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 standard on the Mahindra Thar. It also has wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

A larger, five-door Thar with additional options such as a sunroof, dual-zone air conditioning, and a computerized driver’s display is also being developed. It is anticipated to make its debut in 2024’s second half.

Price and Rivals of Thar

The Mahindra Thar is available for purchase for between Rs 11.25 lakh and Rs 17.60 lakh (ex-showroom), with the rear-wheel-drive versions costing between Rs 11.25 lakh and Rs 14 lakh. The Maruti Jimny and the Force Gurkha are rivals to the Mahindra Thar, however, only 4WD versions of each vehicle are available.

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