Mahindra Will Offer 2020 Thar With Petrol Engine, Automatic Transmission

Published On Nov 07, 2019 02:26 PM By Dhruv for Mahindra Thar

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The petrol engine and automatic transmission in question is expected to be the same powertrain unit as the one previously offered in the XUV500

We expect the new Thar to be revealed at the 2020 Auto Expo.
The petrol engine in question will be the 2.2-litre unit.
It is expected to put out around 150PS of power and 300Nm of torque.
The automatic gearbox is likely to be a 6-speed torque converter.
It could get the Scorpio and XUV500’s 2.2-litre diesel engine as well.

Mahindra is developing the new-gen Thar, which will, in all probability, be revealed at the 2020 Auto Expo. While we have already covered the fact that the 2020 Thar will be a better lifestyle offering than before, we can now confirm that it will also be offered with a petrol engine and an automatic transmission.

We got confirmation of the fact after coming across a test mule of the new-gen Thar being tested in the Ladakh region. The SUV was seen running a petrol engine along with an automatic transmission. We expect Mahindra to equip the next-gen Thar with the same 2.2-litre petrol motor which was previously offered in the XUV500 as well. It is expected to dish out somewhere around 150PS of power and upwards of 300Nm of torque. The diesel variant, on the other hand, could receive the Scorpio and XUV500’s 2.2-litre mHawk unit.

The automatic transmission in question is likely to be the 6-speed torque converter that Mahindra used to offer in the XUV500 as that is currently the only automatic transmission in its arsenal. The manual transmission will be a 6-speed unit.

A new petrol engine will boost the credentials of the Thar as a lifestyle offering. The current Thar is a pure off-roader with Mahindra offering little in terms of creature comforts. And while it is a hoot to drive off the beaten path, a majority of Thar buyers look at the SUV as a lifestyle vehicle. And these are the customers that Mahindra will try and address with the petrol-Thar

While the addition of a petrol engine could bring costs down, the added features and a plusher cabin would warrant a premium. The current Thar is priced at Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi) and we expect the 2020 Thar to attract a premium of around Rs 1 lakh.