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"The new Thar is reported to offer a petrol engine option as well as an automatic transmission    The COVID-19 lockdown has slowed down almost all product launch plans in the country. To compound this issue, after the end of lockdown, demand for automobiles has returned faster than most OEMs anticipated, thus forcing them to focus on ramping up the production of their existing models from a standstill before introducing the new ones.    New Mahindra Thar is almost ready for the market    Mahindra is facing the same issue and hence the arrival of eagerly anticipated next generation Thar and XUV500 will be delayed by a few months. The new Mahindra Thar has been testing quite extensively for several months now and a camouflaged prototype has been spotted once again in Chennai. It is clear that the vehicle is production ready.     2020 Mahindra Thar. Image - Praveen Chola    Previous spyshots revealed that at least some variants of the new Mahindra Thar will feature forward facing rear seats to make it more appealing for family transportation. The existing model employs longitudinally oriented bench seats at the rear which are not high on comfort for long journeys. It looks like the access to the rear seats is via a folding front passenger seat. This could make ingress and egress a bit cumbersome, but then, the Thar's primary focus is its off-road capabilities.    What is new in the 2020 Mahindra Thar?    Based on a new ladder frame chassis which is expected to have improved crash performance, the new Mahindra Thar appears to be considerably wider than its predecessor with higher ground clearance. Powertrain details have not been confirmed yet but it is being reported that the next generation off-roader will receive a BS6-compliant 2.2-liter mHawk diesel engine and a new 2.0-liter petrol motor. Transmission options are likely to include a 6-speed manual unit and a torque converter automatic. Needless to say, higher variants will be equipped with 4x4 system.     2020 Mahindra Thar SUV    The new Mahindra Thar will continue to be positioned as a very capable off-roader but now with much improved interior and new creature comforts. It will continue to pick up a fight with Force Gurkha which also will be graduating to new generation in the coming months.    The new Mahindra Thar is slated to be introduced in the last quarter of this year. We expect the new model to be significantly pricier than the older one owing to additional features and new powertrains."
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