Mahindra Thar Achieves 1 Lakh Sales Milestone

Mahindra Thar Achieves 1 Lakh Sales Milestone

When Mahindra brought the 2nd-gen Thar, it carved out its own niche in the market. Since its launch, the Thar is posting strong sales numbers every month and it commands a waiting period upwards of 12 months. Mahindra launched the Thar at a starting price of Rs. 9.80 lakh ex-showroom. However, since its launch, Mahindra shuffled a couple of variants and powertrain options, which played a major role in increasing its prices.

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4-Star Global NCAP Rating

To score a better rating in the Global NCAP crash test, Mahindra discontinued the base AX 6-seater variants of the Thar soon after its launch. The discontinuation of the 6-seater variants resulted in the Thar achieving a 4-star Global NCAP crash test rating — making it the first body-on-frame SUV to score such a high crash test rating. Currently, the Thar comes in two variants — AX Optional and LX.

RWD Variants Launched To Boost Sales Further

The Mahindra Thar measures under 4 metres in length but owing to its 2.2L turbo diesel and 2.0L turbo petrol engines, it failed to fall under the sub-4m tax slab. To enjoy the tax benefits of a sub-4m category, the vehicle needs to have engine displacement under 1200cc for petrol and 1500cc for diesel.

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To circumvent this issue, Mahindra introduced a 1.5L turbo diesel engine in the Thar mated to a rear wheel drivetrain. This move not only made it a lot more affordable than the 2.2L diesel 4WD but also helped the Thar fall under the sub-Rs. 10 lakh (ex-showroom) price bracket. However, thanks to the recent price hike, the Thar range now starts upwards of Rs. 10 lakh (ex-showroom), which could result in an inflated road tax in a few states. Even though Mahindra are yet to reveal the powertrain-sales ratio of the Thar, we believe that the introduction of the 1.5L diesel must have given a boost to Thar sales in India.

Mahindra Thar 5-door In The Works

Mahindra are already working on a 5-door iteration of the Thar. The Thar 5-door will have doors for the 2nd-row along with a large boot space. To incorporate the rear doors, we expect its length and wheelbase to increase over the Thar 3-door. Since, Mahindra are likely to target the Thar 5-door as a primary SUV, it is likely to pack a lot more comfort features that are not available in the Thar 3-door. You can read more about the Thar 5-door by clicking the link below.

Also Read: 2023 Mahindra Thar 5 Door 2WD Spotted On Test