Mahindra recently used the city of Cape Town to play host to the unveiling of two new concepts, both of which are earmarked for South Africa. Included is the Thar.e, an electrified version of India’s Jeep; the Thar, which is a model that will not be arriving locally. Here is why.
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Creating headlines not only locally but globally too, Mahindra has pulled the covers off two new models after its conference in Cape Town. Included in the two is the Mahindra Pik Up concept which looks ready to ruffle the feathers of the bakkie stalwarts but another model that had to share the spotlight is this, the Thar.e.
Related: Mahindra’s Pik-Up Concept Looks Ready to Fight Ford’s Ranger
Other than wearing the same name as the ICE-powered Thar, both models are significantly different. The exterior of the Thar.e for example is vaguely similar to its standard counterpart and more aligned with an electrified aesthetic. The newcomer has also been displayed solely with 5 doors while its counterpart comes with 3 although a 5 door version is on the way.
Powertrains are also vastly different, with the ICE version employing either a 2,0-litre turbo-petrol or a 2,2-litre diesel engine, with the choice of manual and automatic transmissions powering either the rear or all-wheels. The electrified model is yet to divulge any of its specifications or performance although 400 km of range from a 50 kWh+ sized battery pack is expected. Capability is rumoured to be AWD with a dual electric motor setup although all of this is unconfirmed.
Related: Mahindra Thar.e Debuts as Electrified SUV to Potentially Arrive in SA
Many South Africans would still choose the conventional powertrain over the electrified one and the standard Thar is naturally quite an attractive offering for our market but the bottom line is that it won’t come to South Africa. At the unveiling last week, it was mentioned that the automaker can barely keep up with demand for the Indian market and has thus chosen to focus solely there. Would it be worthwhile arriving in the future to compete against the Jimny and the Wrangler?
