More affordable Mahindra Thar 2WD confirmed, will get 1.5-litre diesel engine

Earlier, there were rumours and leaks that Mahindra might be working on a more affordable version of the Thar SUV. The spy shot revealed that the Thar was missing the four-wheel drive lever and it was expected that the SUV will get the 1.5-litre diesel engine. Now, the two-wheel drive version of the Thar has started reaching the dealership yard. So, it has been confirmed that Mahindra will soon launch the Thar 2WD in the Indian market.

The Thar 2WD misses out on the four-wheel drive system so it is rear-wheel drive only. The 1.5-litre diesel engine that is being used for the Thar is the same unit that is found on the XU300 but it now uses AdBlue fluid as well. The engine produces 116 bhp at 3,500 rpm and a peak torque output of 300 Nm at 1,750-2,500 rpm.

The 1.5-litre diesel engine is shared with the XUV300. Till now, the Thar was offered with a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine and a 2.2-litre diesel engine. (Photo courtesy: YouTube/sansCARi sumit)

Yes, the power output has been decreased by around 15 bhp but the torque output stays the same for both engines. It is important to note that the Thar 2WD will weigh less than the Thar 4WD. This is because of the smaller engine and because it misses out on the 4WD system. So, there might not be a huge difference in terms of performance.

The Thar 2WD will also be the new entry-level variant. Apart from the engine and a missing four-wheel drive system, what will help Mahindra in pricing the Thar 2WD aggressively is the fact, that the SUV will now be eligible for tax advantages.

What Mahindra has also added to the Thar 2WD is an auto start/stop functionality and a lock/unlock button in the centre console. The rest of the features are expected to stay the same. In terms of looks as well, the Thar 2WD looks identical to the 4WD model except for the fact that it misses out on ‘4x4’ badging.