There are a lot of customers out there who would love to indulge in the ownership of a Mahindra Thar, but won’t really be taking the car off-road. For them, the Indian auto manufacturer seems to be preparing a new entry-level variant minus.
The Mahindra Thar is known for its offroad capabilities and enjoys a decent amount of popularity in India. According to a report in TeamBHP, the company is currently preparing a new entry-level variant of the SUV with a smaller engine and possibly smaller wheels as well.
According to the report, the new Thar while essentially the same dimensions of the current SUV, will be 100 kg lighter. Additionally, it will sport a smaller 1.5-litre 3-cylinder engine. Power and torque will obviously be reduced with this and the SUV will also get smaller wheels.
The SUV will also get both manual and automatic transmission options, but the 4-wheel-drive system will be given a miss.
The current Mahindra Thar is offered with two engine options, a 2-litre 4-cylinder mStallion petrol and a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel. Both these options get a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic transmission option along with 4X4 and a manual shift transfer case as standard.
The new entry-level Mahindra Thar on the other hand, while missing out on a lot of features will also be priced extremely competitively. On the forum, the price is expected to sit somewhere around Rs 6.50 lakh. At the moment, prices start at Rs 9.80 lakh.