Mahindra has just commenced testing of the 2015 Thar facelift which will be launched in the second half of the year. It will see vast improvements.
The year 2015 is going to be a big and important one for Mahindra as it plans a slew of launches in the domestic market to boost its market share. The automaker will not only launch new products like the S101/102 and S301, it will also refresh its existing offerings including the XUV500 and the Thar. We had reported a couple of years back about Mahindra working on a major facelift to the Thar and MotorBeam readers Sujay Agharkar and Prasad Bankar spotted the vehicle on test in Satpur, Nashik recently.
The duo who spotted and snapped the 2015 Mahindra Thar facelift saw no number plates on the vehicle although a plate was placed on the dashboard with an “On Test” signage. Visually though, there isn’t much to differentiate the vehicle from the current model and that is largely because Mahindra will not tinker with the design of its popular off-roader. Instead, the focus will be on improving the quality and mechanicals of the vehicle. The Thar was spotted with partial camouflage and the dashboard too was covered.
Currently the Mahindra Thar is offered with two engine options, a 2.5-litre CRDe (105 HP, 247 Nm) and 2.5-litre Di (63 BHP, 182.5 Nm). Both models are offered with 4-wheel drive while the base Di variant comes with 2-wheel drive. Measuring under 4-metres in length, Mahindra could plonk in the 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder diesel mill from the Quanto which will help them get excise duty benefits and price the updated Thar aggressively. The said motor outputs 100 BHP and 240 Nm and will soon be matched to an AMT gearbox on the Quanto which will also make it to the Thar in the future.
The Mahindra Thar is likely to get added features and the utilitarian interiors will feature some creature comforts, including vast improvement in quality. The company might offer a hard-top variant as well, something many customers have been looking out for. The vehicle has almost no direct competition and is positioned as a lifestyle offering for those who like to take the roads less travelled without spending too much money on purchase of an off-roader.
