Mahindra Thar 6-Seater AX Std And AX Variants Discontinued

The bare-boned version of the Thar is no longer available which also raises the entry price for Mahindra’s lifestyle SUV

• Mahindra Thar base-spec models were closest to the previous-gen offering with jump seats in the back.

• The AX Std variant was the only one to be priced under Rs 10 lakh since it wasn’t fitted with the mechanical locking differential.

• Owning a Thar now is more expensive by over Rs 2 lakh for new entry-level AX Opt petrol variant.

• Both AX and AX Std were offered with the fixed soft-top only.

• Thar AX Opt and LX offer more comforts, safety features and choice of roof from factory.

• The 4-star Global NCAP crash test rating applied only to the 4-seater version of the Thar.

Mahindra launched the second-gen Thar in October 2020 with four variants - AX Standard, AX, AX Opt and LX. The base-spec AX and AX Std variants were quite similar to the previous-gen model with jump-seats in the back for a 6-seater layout. However, the more practical, safer and better-equipped variants of the new Thar happened to be far more popular. The carmaker first stopped taking orders of the base variants and has now discontinued them entirely.

The only difference between the AX and AX Std was that the latter was only offered with the 2.2-litre diesel engine and misses out on a mechanical locking differential. This was the only variant priced under Rs 10 lakh. Both variants were offered with the fixed soft top only and had minimal comforts to offer. Now, the prices for the 2020 Thar start from Rs 11.90 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) which means the entry-point for the SUV has increased by over Rs 2 lakh. The AX Opt and LX variants come with front-facing rear seats with a roll cage and both get the choice of the convertible soft top and fixed hard top. Moreover, the discontinued AX variants were not 4-star crash test rated as they used to come with side facing rear seats with no seat belts or child seat anchors.

While both the variants of the Mahindra Thar now get the choice of the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines, only the LX variant is offered with an automatic transmission for both. The AX Opt still offers features like AC, power windows, ISOFIX child seat anchorage, remote keyless entry, height-adjustable driver’s seat to be a practical choice for a lower price.

Also read: Mahindra Thar AX Opt: Pros, Cons And Should You Buy This Variant?

However, if you do buy a new Thar now, you might have to wait as long as 8 months (depending on the city) to take delivery and there will be a price hike in January 2021. Mahindra’s off-roader still does not have a direct rival in the market as we continue to wait for the new Force Gurkha and the Maruti Jimny is still a while away.

Read More on : Mahindra Thar on road price