Mahindra is getting very good at this limited edition thing, because this week it announced the arrival of the Thar Adventure Series.
The Thar Adventure Series is a special edition equipped with a host of off-road accessories aimed at meeting the needs of every off-road enthusiast. It is available immediately from dealers across the country for R293 999.
It’s based on the standard Thar 2.5 CRDe 4×4 SE, but adds off-road bumpers, a steel canopy, off-road ready alloy wheels and a snorkel.
“The Thar is a firm favourite among Mahindra and off-road enthusiasts alike for its 70-year pedigree and no-frills focus on off-roading. With the Adventure Series, we have added the most popular Thar accessories at a discounted price to create a model that is sure to find favour with this group of fans,” says Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa.
Taking centre stage on the list of accessories is a complete set of new bumpers courtesy of Bundu Gear.
The front bumper is a true off-road approach bumper with upwardly slanted sides to expose more of the tyre surface and further improve on the Thar’s standard 44-degree approach angle. It also features brightly coloured recovery points, a functional bush bashing top bar to protect the grille, and high-lift jack mounting points.
The Bundu Gear front bumper also sports in-built LED lights and a mounting point for off-road accessories such as a front tow bar or removable winch.
Bundu Gear’s specialists have also developed a set of hard-wearing rock sliders that can be fitted to the Adventure Series at an additional cost. These sliders have diamond plate top steps and additional high-lift jack mounting points.
At the rear, the matching off-road steel bumper is fitted as standard. It has its own brightly coloured recovery points, jack mounts and an integrated tow bar.
Mahindra has further added a hardened steel canopy from Getec as standard equipment. The canopy and roof section above the front seats can be removed for an open-top driving experience, and Mahindra includes its standard canvas rear canopy as additional equipment.
In front, Mahindra has added a heavy-duty snorkel with an air inlet mounted above the roofline to emphasise the vehicle’s off-road credentials.
Lastly, Mahindra has selected heavy-duty A-line alloy wheels fitted to the standard tyres. As an option, buyers can opt for more off-road focussed tyres such as the Hankook Dynapro AT wheels with their dual-purpose on- and off-road abilities and their aggressive profile for greater traction in mud and sand.
The Thar is fitted with Mahindra’s well-proven 2.5 TCI-CRDe turbodiesel engine, which delivers 78 kW at 3 800 rpm and 247 Nm in a flat torque curve from 1 200 rpm to 2 000 rpm.
Under the body shell, the Thar is fitted with a ladder frame, very hardy leaf springs, a stabiliser bar and hydraulic shocks. This combination gives the Thar a ground clearance of 200 mm and allows a very impressive standard wheel travel of 194 mm.
In South Africa, all Thar models have a mechanical differential lock in the rear and auto locking front hubs. The 4×4-system was developed with Borg Warner and allows for shift on the fly between 4×2 and 4×4 and high and low range.
All Mahindra Thar models are sold with a 2-year / 50 000 km warranty, and it can be purchased with an optional service plan of 3 years / 80 000 km.