On August 15th 2023, 5-door Mahindra Thar will globally debut in South Africa – India launch for the same is likely in 2024
Being a homegrown manufacturer, Mahindra likes to emphasize its Indian roots. Since the past three years, Mahindra has picked up a trend of debuting at least one new vehicle on the Independence Day of India, August 15th. This new strategy has worked wonders for the brand in signifying its Indian roots and showcase its patriotism.
On the 15th of Aug, Mahindra showcased the Thar 3-door in 2020, XUV700 in 2021, Born Electric BE range and XUV.e range in 2022 at M.A.D.E. HQ in the UK. For 2023, Mahindra has planned to debut its Thar 5-door globally and this event will take place in South Africa. It is likely to feature a brand new design that will not overlap with Jeep’s designs.
5-Door Mahindra Thar Debut Date Announced
Mahindra & Mahindra Exec Director (Auto and Farm Sectors) Mr. Rajesh Jejurikar, confirmed that 5-door Thar won’t see the light of day in 2023. In fact, Mahindra is not planning any new launches in 2023 as a whole. This is due to the massive waiting period for Thar, Scorpio N and XUV700 and supply chain shortage.
It is highly likely that Mahindra will debut its 5-door Thar on August 15th, 2023. But, launch will happen only in 2024 both here in India and in markets like South Africa. Testing for 5-door Thar is underway and there are multiple sightings too.
Most recent sightings were besides XUV300 facelift test mules. This test mule had a single-pane sunroof between the front and rear seats. A panoramic sunroof would have made the placement less awkward, though.
5-door Mahindra Thar will cross the sub 4m threshold and hence the smaller 1.5L diesel is less likely to be on offer. In the 3-door Thar, this engine allows the Thar to fall in the B-segment tax bracket and has the highest waiting period of over 17 months among other powertrain variants.
Why South Africa?
South Africa has been a key market for Mahindra. Debuting one of its key vehicles in this market seems to be a strategic move to demonstrate commitment and interest in that market. As of now, Mahindra sells XUV300, XUV700 and Scorpio N models in South Africa. There are rumours suggesting a re-designed 5-door Mahindra Thar for global markets, which will not make it look like a Jeep Wrangler.
Mahindra has not revealed whether it is debuting the one we expect or the re-designed global model, or both. Regardless, only the 2.0L petrol engine and 2.2L diesel engine will be on the cards. Mahindra will offer RWD models as seen in an older spy video. A variation of Scorpio N’s platform with around 4.4 to 4.5 meter length is highly likely. Interiors will see the addition of a front armrest with a storage box underneath. There is a possibility of a 3rd row, taking the seating capacity to 7 or 8.
