2020 Mahindra Thar delivery dates are getting delayed as demand is higher than expected
There have been a lot of highly anticipated automobile launches this year but hardly any of them have been able to match the buzz of the second generation of Thar. After being in development for more than two years, countless spy shots and digital renderings, the new Thar was finally revealed in its full form on August 15 this year.
This was followed by the launch on October 2 when Mahindra officially announced the prices and started accepting bookings for the new Thar. Its craze can be gauged from the fact that within three days of its launch, Mahindra received over 9,000 bookings for the all-new Thar.
By now, booking numbers are way over 20,000 and Mahindra is trying everything possible to keep their customers happy. From sending chocolate boxes to increasing production at plant; and even removing base / cheaper variants from the booking list.
CEAT or MRF
This huge demand has also affected their tyre supplier it seems. On 15th August, when the Thar was first revealed, it was announced by CEAT that they are the official tyre suppliers for the 16 inch as well as 18 inch setups.
Ceat had stated that their Thar tyres were specially developed keeping in mind the SUV and its capabilities. Called Czar AT tyres, these come in two sizes of 255/65 for the R18 alloys and 245/75 for the R16 wheel. But now, for the first time, 2020 Mahindra Thar has been spotted with MRF tyres at a dealer yard. Hat tip to automotive enthusiast Neelesh Bajaj for sharing the spy shots.
Mahindra had planned to produce only 2,000 units of Thar every month. And accordingly had notified their parts suppliers as well. Now with Mahindra announcing to increase production, all their parts suppliers also have to increase production. This includes tyre suppliers.
It is likely that due to increase in demand for Thar, Mahindra had to source from another supplier, instead of CEAT. Will this affect performance, most likely not. Many manufacturers do this from time to time, when there is shortage. But considering that CEAT tyres were first promoted as official Thar tyres, some owners might not want MRF tyres.
Thar Powertrain, Transmission Details
2020 Mahindra Thar comes with two powertrain options– a revised 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine and a 2.0-litre mStallion turbocharged petrol engine. The diesel unit cranks out 130 bhp and 300 Nm of peak torque whereas the petrol mill churns out 150 bhp and 300Nm (320 Nm for AT) of peak torque. Both motors get the option of being paired to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. A 4×4 drivetrain with a low-range transfer case is offered as standard.
