The Mahindra Thar is a compact, four-wheel drive, off-road SUV manufactured by Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.

Named after the Thar Desert, the Mahindra Thar was first introduced in 2010 as a modernized version of the Mahindra Legend, which was based on the Mahindra MM540, a vehicle that was in production in India since the 1980s.

The Thar was designed to be a rugged, reliable, and affordable off-road vehicle that could handle the rough terrain found in many parts of India. Its design is based on the iconic Jeep CJ series, which Mahindra had been producing under license since the 1940s.

The first generation Mahindra Thar was powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged diesel engine that produced 105 horsepower and 247 Nm of torque. The vehicle was available in two trim levels: the DI 2WD and the DI 4WD. The DI 2WD was a basic version that came with a soft top and no air conditioning, while the DI 4WD came with air conditioning and a hardtop. In 2015, Mahindra introduced an updated version of the Thar called the Thar CRDe. The CRDe stood for "common rail diesel engine," which was a more advanced engine that produced 105 horsepower and 247 Nm of torque. The Thar CRDe also had updated safety features, such as airbags and ABS, and was available in two trim levels: the CRDe 4WD and the CRDe 4WD AC.

In 2020, Mahindra introduced the second generation Thar, which was a completely redesigned version of the vehicle. The Thar 2020 has a new, more modern design that features a bold grille, LED headlights, and a hardtop roof. It is powered by either a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine or a 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel engine, both of which are mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. The Thar 2020 also has updated suspension and drivetrain components, as well as a range of new features, such as a touchscreen infotainment system, a rearview camera, and an adventure statistics display. The Thar 2020 is available in two trim levels: the AX and the LX, with the latter being the more premium option.

The Mahindra Thar has been well-received by both off-road enthusiasts and the general public in India. It has become a popular vehicle for adventure enthusiasts, as it is capable of handling some of the most challenging terrains in India.

The vehicle was launched in the Indian market on October 4, 2010^[2] to fill the void left by its predecessor, the Mahindra MM540. The Thar has been voted one of the top-10 SUVs available in the Indian market. Three variants - DI 2WD, DI 4WD, and CRDe, are available with soft-top versions. The Thar also comes with a seven-seater option, though it can be converted into a two-seater.

The second generation Thar was unveiled on August 15, 2020.^[4][5] It became available in October 2020.

It comes with two engine options, a 2.0-litre petrol and a 2.2-litre diesel. Both are offered with a choice of 6-speed automatic transmission (with a torque converter gearbox) made by Aisin or 6-speed manual transmission. Customers have the option to choose between a hard top, soft top or soft top with convertible like folding down mechanism.^[6][7]

Safety

Global NCAP crash-tested the second-generation Mahindra Thar in its basic safety specification of two airbags and ISOFIX anchorages in 2020 (similar to Latin NCAP 2013). It achieved four stars for adult protection, with its passenger compartment remaining stable in the offset frontal test. However, its footwell ruptured during the test. The car was penalised for instability of footwell response and for this reason Mahindra was denied the opportunity of demonstrating that sharp structures in the dashboard could prove benign to the knees of differently sized occupants. Hence Global NCAP penalised the knee areas and the vehicle could not achieve the maximum five star rating for adult protection.

Nevertheless, Mahindra requested an ECE side impact test for the Thar, in which the car passed this basic test despite not being fitted with side airbags.^[8] The driver's seat in the Mahindra Thar is high enough for the car to be exempted from this regulation, but Global NCAP required that the test be performed nevertheless. However, since the Thar lost crucial points in the frontal impact, the side impact had no influence on the result.

The Mahindra Thar was sold in a basic trim level with side-facing rear seats. These seats were not fitted with three-point seatbelts or ISOFIX anchorages and would render the vehicle unsuitable for safely transporting children, which would cause Global NCAP to award the car no stars for child occupant protection. Global NCAP warned Mahindra to withdraw this variant of the Thar from the market, failing which they would publish a result of this basic variant in addition to the tested variant. Global NCAP only agreed to publish the result of a variant with forward-facing seats after sales of the basic variant were stopped,^[9] making forward-facing seats the basic specification for the model.

Mahindra also requested Global NCAP to test the Thar's optional electronic stability control. The model met minimum performance requirements for yaw rate in the UN's test with a steering robot, but it showed unstable dynamic behaviour with tendency to roll, and Global NCAP recommended an improvement, to deliver a more robust performance in real-life scenarios.^[10]

The Thar is not fitted with side impact airbags for the body or head, even as an option.

2020 Mahindra Thar, RHD (2 airbags)

Global NCAP scores (2020)[11]
Adult Occupant stars
Adult occupant score	12.52/17.00
Child Occupant stars
Child occupant score	41.11/49.00