All Details Of Mahindra Thar RWD Leaked Ahead Of Launch

The introduction of the rear-wheel drive setup could drop the SUV’s starting price to around Rs 11 lakh (ex-showroom)

• Mahindra to offer the Thar RWD in both AX (O) and LX trims.

• The Thar will be available with two diesel engines: 2.2-litre and 1.5-litre (new) units.

• To carry on with the same 2-litre turbo-petrol engine as before.

• It also gets two new paint options: Everest White and Blazing Bronze.

The Mahindra Thar is set to get rear-wheel-drive (RWD) variants soon. Ahead of its price announcement, the SUV’s updated brochure has leaked online revealing key details about its features, engine and gearbox combo, colours and drivetrain.

The new RWD Thar gets the choice of the familiar 150PS 2-litre turbo-petrol engine with the six-speed manual only.. But the diesel option is the 118PS 1.5-litre diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual. The 2.2-litre diesel comes with 4WD only in the Thar, with choice of manual and automatic transmissions.

Here’s a look at the variants and drivetrain combo that the SUV will be available with:

As per the previous update, the mechanical locking differential is still an optional on the top-spec LX diesel 4WD variant. The new rear-wheel drive diesel variants still come with an electronic brake locking differential.

Apart from the engine and drivetrain updates, the Thar SUV will also be receiving some feature and cosmetic tweaks. The new RWD diesel variants come with ESP, hill hold and hill descent control as standard, which are missing from entry-level petrol variants. It gets two new exterior shades - Blazing Bronze and Everest White. In the new RWD variants, Mahindra has also now replaced the Thar’s 4x4 selector with a big cubby hole and removed the ‘4x4’ badges.

Also Read: Planning To Buy An SUV Under Rs 20 Lakh In 2023? These Could Be Your Options

It’s likely to be a win-win situation for both the carmaker and buyer with the introduction of the smaller diesel engine as it would enable the SUV to take advantage of the tax benefit applicable to cars under the sub-4m category. Consequently, it will lead to reduction in the starting price of the SUV, whose new asking price could be around the Rs 11 lakh ballpark.

We expect Mahindra to announce the new prices for the revised Thar lineup ahead of Auto Expo 2023, next week. The Thar rivals the Force Gurkha and will take on the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Jimny.

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