Mahindra Automotive is inching closer to the launch of the Thar Armada. This new SUV is the five-door iteration of the already popular lifestyle off-roader Thar three-door. Recently, it has been reported that Mahindra has commenced the production of the Thar Armada. As per Autocar India, the new Thar Armada will be produced in Mahindra’s Chakan plant. The company is anticipating a huge demand; hence, it has started this production early on to fulfill the reservations as quickly as possible.
Thar 2-Door and 5-Door production numbers
Mahindra’s initial plan for the production capacity of the Thar Armada was set at 2,500 units per month. However, the overwhelming interest from potential buyers has prompted Mahindra to double this figure to between 5,000 and 6,000 units monthly.
This means that the annual production of the Thar Armada will soar up to around 70,000 units. Mahindra currently sells around 5,000 units of the three-door Thar as a monthly average.
Why The 5-Door Layout?
The first and most important highlight of the new Thar Armada is its 5-door layout. A number of buyers of the three-door Thar complained about its lack of practicality. So, with the longer wheelbase, which is approximately 22% more than the 3-door version, Mahindra has addressed this issue. Access to the rear seats of the regular Thar is by folding the front seats – and this is no one’s preferred way of entering a tall SUV. Seniors, and even middle aged people have been complaining about it. And the rear seat area is not particularly spacious either. The 5-door Thar armada addresses both these issues.
Longer wheelbase benefits
The Thar Armada gets much more cabin room and much-needed luggage space, addressing one of the main drawbacks of the smaller Thar. This will also make the Thar Armada a more family-friendly option. It will now get a proper middle row bench seat, which will be comfortable, unlike the rear seats of the Thar three-door.
Exterior Changes
Apart from these changes, the Thar Armada will feature a few differences on the outside as well. It will be getting a new grille with a line dividing it horizontally. Next up, it will be getting a set of LED headlights from the factory. On the side profile, there will be vertically mounted door handles on the C-pillar, and it will also get bigger 19-inch alloy wheels.
Feature-Rich Interior – larger infotainment screen
Apart from the exterior, the interior of the Thar Armada will also boast a ton of changes. The overall dashboard layout will be kept the same, but it will be getting a lot of new features and tech. The main highlight of the interior of the Thar Armada will be a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
It will be a significant upgrade from the 7-inch unit in the 3-door Thar. The new infotainment system will also support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and feature integrated navigation. There will also be a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.
Panoramic sunroof and other features
Other notable features include wireless phone charging, multiple airbags, Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and a panoramic sunroof. The sunroof was visible on several of the spy shots that we have seen on the 5-door Thar test vehicles. Mahindra knows how desirable a sunroof is for the Indian car buyer these days – despite strong arguments about impracticality in our weather conditions, and people hanging out of the sunroof endangering themselves, the market is clear that a sunroof is a must-have – so Mahindra will give them exactly that!
There will also be various interior color themes, roof-mounted speakers, and other amenities.
Engine and Transmission Options
Coming to the powertrain options, Mahindra will be offering this highly anticipated SUV with a ton of options to choose from. The company does not want to lose any customers. It will be offering the Thar Armada with three main engine options. The first will be the same 1.5-litre diesel engine found in the 3-door Thar RWD. This engine will produce around 117 bhp and 300 Nm of torque.
Then there will be the option of the bigger 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine, borrowed from the Scorpio-N. This more powerful engine will produce 172 and 175 bhp and up to 400 Nm of torque. Additionally, a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine will also be available. Its power specs will be around 200 to 203 bhp and 370 to 380 Nm of torque.
As for the transmission options, the company will be offering both manual and 6-speed torque converter automatic transmissions. As per the reports, in order to lower the price tag, the company will also be offering the Thar Armada with a choice between 4WD and 2WD layouts.
Market Positioning, Pricing, and Competitors
Coming to the Mahindra Thar Armada positioning, it will serve as a more practical yet rugged alternative to midsize SUVs. It will be taking on the popular midsize SUVs like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara.
It will also compete with its own Scorpio-N and the newly launched Force Gurkha 5-door. As for the pricing, the Thar Armada is expected to start at around Rs 15 lakh (on-road, Mumbai) for the base RWD variants and could go up to Rs 30 lakh for the top-of-the-line 4WD variants.
Although official bookings for the Thar Armada have not yet commenced, several dealers have started accepting unofficial reservations with booking amounts ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.
