2020 Mahindra Thar LX and AX Variants Explained; Engines, Features and More

Mahindra and Mahindra, the homegrown automaker recently unveiled the all-new 2020 Thar at this year's Independence Day. The car was one of the most anticipated debuts of the year and it has not failed to surprise anyone who were keenly awaiting the new product. With the focus on 'Aatamnirbhar Bharat', Mahindra is also focusing on encashing the growing Make-in-India sentiments. Not only is the car unveiled at the Independence Day, the all-new Mahindra Thar will be officially launched on October 2. Also, the chassis plate on the Mahindra Thar reads - 'Made in India With Pride.'

Ahead of its launch, Mahindra has unveiled the styling, features and the variants that will be on offer with the new SUV and only the pricing is remaining now, that will be unveiled later this year. The 2020 Mahindra Thar will be available with four engine-gearbox configurations across both, LX and AX variants. While the AX will be a more bare-bones option aimed to cater to off-road enthusiasts, the LX has more road-going creature comforts in order to be a more premium and family-friendly offering. The AX or Adventure variant will be priced to cater a mass market while the LX or luxury variant has been introduced for the first time to match the requirements of the new-age urban car buyers looking to buy small SUVs, a reason why compact SUVs are becoming so prominent in the recent years.

To understand the difference between both the variants, we have compiled an in depth features and specification difference between Mahindra Thar AX and Mahindra Thar LX. Here's what's different between the variants of the Mahindra Thar:

2020 Mahindra Thar AX 

As mentioned before, the AX aims at off-road enthusiasts hence here are complete details of the variant.

Engine: The Mahindra Thar AX will come with both the engine options including a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine, both mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Features: In terms of creature comforts, the car gets a manual IRVM, rear defogger, roll cage, fixed soft top, convertible top or hard-top options, 16-inch steel wheels, 4-way manual adjustable front passenger seats, power windows, power steering, 12V accessory socket, remote keyless entry, and driver’s seat height adjust among others.

In terms of safety, the car gets dual front airbags, ABS and EBD, central locking, rear parking sensors with a display and roll-cage among others.

2020 Mahindra Thar LX 

The LX variant, on the other hand, is aimed at buyers who prefer more creature comfort and will hence be placed above AX.

Engine: Like the AX, the LX variant will get both the engine options as well. This means there would be a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine along with a 6-speed manual transmission as well. The diesel unit and petrol can also be mated to an automatic trasnmission

Features: In addition to the features in the AX, the LX comes with additional features including Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with rollover mitigation. tyre pressure monitoring system, tyre direction monitor, three-point seatbelts for all four passengers, hill-start and descent assist, Isofix child seat mounts, roll cage, speed-sensing front door locks, follow-me-home headlights, convertible top or hardtop and a set of 18-inch alloy wheels with 255/65 R18 tyres among others. Also on offer is a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and navigation.

2020 Mahindra Thar AX Features

• Dual front airbags
• ABS with EBD
• Rear parking sensors with a display
• Manual inside day-night rearview mirror
• Rear defogger (optional)
• Roll cage (optional)
• Fixed soft top
• LED tail-lights
• Convertible top or hard top (optional)
• 16-inch steel wheels with 245/75 R16 tyres
• 6-seat layout – 2 front seats and 4 side-facing seats
• Front facing rear seats with 50:50 split/folding and adjustable headrests (optional)
• Manual air-con
• Remote keyless entry (optional with hard top)
• Driver’s seat height adjust (optional)

2020 Mahindra Thar LX Features

In addition to the features in the 2020 Thar AX, the Thar LX will get:

• Brake locking diff
• Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with rollover mitigation
• Tyre pressure monitor
• Tyre direction monitor
• Hill-start and descent assist
• Roll cage
• Convertible top or hard top
• 18-inch alloy wheels with 255/65 R18 tyres
• LED daytime running lights and front fog lights
• Fender-mounted antenna
• 4-seat layout with front facing rear seats
• 8-way adjustable front seats
• Automatic climate control
• Cruise control
• Power adjustable outside rear view mirrors
• 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and navigation
• Roof-mounted speakers
• Steering-mounted controls

Speaking about the competition, the Mahindra Thar is offered in a unique segment where no other product is listed apart from the Force Gurkha, which, is not as popular and mainstream as the Mahindra Thar. However, now that the all-new Thar gets many industry matching features, it is directly competing with the compact and mid-SUVs like the Kia Sonet, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Venue, Hyundai Creta among others.

As for the pricing, the earlier gen Mahindra Thar was priced as per engine options. However, now that the 2020 Mahindra Thar gets petrol engine, it is expected to be priced close to INR 7 Lakh starting price, going all the way upto INR 12 Lakh for the top-spec model (all prices ex-showroom).

Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Mahindra updates and other four-wheeler news.