The three-door Mahindra Thar, launched on October 2, 2020 which was also Mahindra & Mahindra’s 75th anniversary, is to get a new sibling in the form of the five-door Mahindra Thar Roxx which is to see its global unveiling this Independence Day on August 15, 2024. The Thar, which has completed 45 months in the marketplace and is the successor to the first-generation model introduced in 2010, has sold an estimated 186,055 units till end-July 2024.
In the first four months of FY2025, the Thar has sold an estimated 21,671 units, averaging monthly sales of 5,417 units. It should surpass the 200,000 sales milestone by October 2024.
The current Thar, which is far less utilitarian than its predecessor but without diluting its core appeal, appeals to a much wider audience and this is reflected in its sales. As per industry wholesales data, the Thar sold 14,186 units in the last six months of FY2021, with the next fiscal’s sales jumping by 167% to 37,844 units in FY2022. While FY2023’s sales of 47,108 units were a 24% YoY increase, the Thar clocked its best-ever fiscal year dispatches in FY2024: 65,246 units, up 38.50% YoY. In the first four months of FY2025, the Thar has sold an estimated 21,671 units, up 15.50% YoY, and has averaged monthly sales of 5,417 units.
Mahindra & Mahindra has three engines on offer for the Thar – the base 118hp, 300 Nm, 1.5-litre diesel engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and in rear-wheel-drive guise, a 152hp, 300 Nm, 2.0-litre petrol and the 132hp, 300 Nm, 2.2-litre diesel engines. The 152hp and 130hp engines get the option of either a 6-speed manual or an automatic gearbox. Also, while the diesel engine is only available in 4WD guise, the petrol is offered in both 4WD and RWD configurations. The Thar 4X4 also sports an electronic brake locking differential instead of a mechanical locking differential, which offers better grip in low-traction situations.
The Mahindra Thar is currently available with 19 variants comprising 12 diesels and seven petrols. Pricing starts from Rs 14.13 lakh (on-road Mumbai) for the base 1.5D AX(O) RWD through to Rs 22.21 lakh for the top-end 2.2D LX AT Earth variant.
Thirty months after launch, the 100,000th Mahindra Thar rolled out from the Nashik plant on March 29, 2023.
SUSTAINED DEMAND OVER 45 MONTHS
That the new Thar would be a high-selling product for Mahindra & Mahindra was apparent, given that accumulated over 15,000 bookings within the first three weeks of launch and 75,000 bookings within a year.
On March 29, 2023, the 100,000th Thar rolled out from M&M’s plant in Nashik, Maharashtra, in exactly 30 months from the SUV’s market entry.
Just a month after launch, the Mahindra Thar got a sales boost in the form of a 4-star Global NCAP crash safety rating. However, this rating is based on the old testing protocols, which was upgraded in July last year. Since then, M&M launched has the new 4X2 version of the Thar in January 2023, which looks identical to the 4WD model except for the lack of the 4×4 badge on the former. Currently, the sole rival to the three-door Thar in India is Force Motors’ Gurkha. And the new Thar Roxx will take on the five-door Force Gurkha, launched in May 2024
The Thar has seen a single recall till date. On February 4, 2021, M&M issued a voluntary recall for 2,649 units of the diesel-engined Thar, manufactured between September 7, 2020 and December 25, 2020, to inspect an engine camshaft which might have had an improper machining condition that has escaped quality check at the vendor’s end and could have led to loss of drive to the fuel pump and in turn stalling.
What has clicked for the second-generation Thar is its direct appeal to off-roading aficionados while also luring a large number of buyers with its new ability to be deployed as an everyday SUV as a result of its modern interior and features, relatively easy driving manners and also automatic transmission options. Since the October 2020 launch, M&M has introduced new variants that have shed the 4×4 system and are RWD (rear-wheel drive) only. What enhanced the Thar’s market appeal is the small capacity 1497cc diesel engine, which has tax benefits and, thereby, reduced price.
Thar and Thar Roxx: The two Mahindra Thar siblings will further expand the market as well reach out to a larger target audience.
THAR APPEAL TO WIDEN WITH NEW ROXX
With the launch of the Thar Roxx, there is likely to be some level of cannibalisation in favour of the new five-door model compared to the existing three-door Thar, as also some other SUVs, albeit M&M believes that the two Thar siblings will further expand the market as well as appeal to a larger target audience. In view of the anticipated strong demand for the new Thar Roxx, the company has expanded manufacturing capacity for the model.
At present, the three-door Thar has a backlog of around 42,000 units which is likely to reduce once the Thar Roxx goes on sale and some buyers shift their options to the five-door model.
The Thar, whether three-door or five-door, is still powered by petrol and diesel engines. There’s a zero-emission avatar in the future Mahindra new product pipeline. Exactly a year ago, M&M unveiled the Thar.e concept which will use a modified version of Mahindra’s new INGLO dedicated EV platform and powered by the Volkswagen APP550 electric motor.