New 2015 Mahindra Thar: Top 5 features

Mahindra will launch an all-new upgraded Thar on July 22, with some major cosmetic upgrades – including some minor changes in exterior design.

Ever since its launch in 2010, the Mahindra Thar has gone on to create a niche fan following for itself – of both off-road enthusiasts and SUV lovers. With tremendous road presence and character, the Thar indeed makes a strong statement.

What it made up for with its purposeful 4x4 looks, the Thar also was a disappointment for many prospective buyers – the interiors were just not up to the standards of a vehicle that costs upwards of Rs 8 lakh.

Many Thar owners spend a considerable amount of time and money to spruce up the rather spartan interiors and customize it to their own personal preferences. The 2015 Thar will attempt to address some of those concerns. Here’s a look at what to expect from the facelifted Thar.

1.       Improved exteriors

On the outside, the new Thar will carry forward the same design as the current model but will have minor upgrades. Overall, the new Thar maintains the same look of the outgoing model.

What is expected is an all-new plastic-metal front bumper, larger footrests and wider fenders on the top-spec CRDe variant, although not visible on the DI variant here.

2.      New interiors

The biggest changes will be on the inside, which are all-new; new seats, new upholstery, new dashboard and new instrument panel. The seats seem wider and more comfortable than the current generation Thar’s.

The dash is an all-new design and gets dual tone treatment and looks much more upmarket compared to the staid colour scheme of the current generation Thar. The rounded AC vents get silver accents as does the new instrument cluster, with three chrome ringed units. The gear lever, handbrake lever, air-con controls and the steering wheel of the new Thar have been borrowed from the Mahindra Bolero.

3.      Improved ergonomics and power steering

The current model Thar is quite ‘well-known’ for its ergonomics, or lack of them, with an off-center steering wheel and awkward driving position. The steering wheel is biased towards the left from the driving position and it does take some time to get used to it.

The new 2015 Thar will have a steering which now sits straight to the driver position. And as mentioned earlier, the steering wheel itself is new and borrowed from the Bolero. The power steering is all-new too and is an improved system than the one on the current generation Thar.

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4.      New auto differential lock

Mechanically, the only upgrade the 2015 Mahindra Thar gets is an all-new auto differential lock. What this means is more off-road ability, in terms of providing power to the wheels that actually require it, rather than transmitting equal amounts of power to all wheels.

So, if you’re off-roading on the Thar, there’s not torque loss to wheels which are not stuck but the torque will be provided to the wheels which require it. The new torque-sensing auto diff lock is expected to make life a lot easier for off-roading, but some purists may disagree, wanting more control over choosing which wheels should get power when caught in a tight spot.

5.      

Engine options

The current generation Mahindra Thar is powered by two different engines. And from all indications, the updated Thar will be powered by the same engines – a 2.5 litre direct injection unit that delivers 63PS of power and 182.5Nm of torque, and a 2.5 litre common rail engine that makes 105PS of power and 247Nm of torque.

The CRDe engine is quite capable for covering long distances as well as taking on off-road duties, as we found out during the recent Mahindra Monastery Escape drive.

The 2015 Mahindra Thar is expected to be marginally more expensive than the current generation model, so expect a premium of around Rs 40,000-50,000 over the current generation Thar.