This is the Mahindra Thar.e and while it is currently only a concept, it will spawn a production model with five doors and an electric powertrain. The Thar.e has been conceived as a rugged SUV with an incredibly boxy shape that does wonders for its presence but may not be so beneficial for aerodynamics. The front of the SUV has square LED headlights as well as what looks like a steel front bumper to ensure it can survive the toughest of hits. Your eyes may then be drawn to the boxy front quarter panels and arches as well as the turn signals mounted on either side of the angular hood.
Then there’s the ground clearance. Thanks
to a set of tall wheels, beefy off-road tires, and the suspension system, the
Thar.e boasts up to 300 mm of ground clearance, enough to keep
the floor-mounted battery pack safe in even the harshest and most precarious of
off-road conditions. The front and rear overhangs have also been kept to a
minimum. Found at the rear are square LED taillights and a bumper very similar
to the one found at the front. Mahindra claims that it will have a
best-in-class approach angle, departure angle, ramp-over angle, and
water-fording abilities.
While the concept shown is a five-door,
Mahindra will build three- and five-door versions of the production model. Both
will be underpinned by the INGLO (INdia GLObal) platform used by other Mahindra
products and have wheelbases varying between 2,775 mm and 2,975
mm.
Details about the off-roader’s powertrain
are not yet known but Autocar India suggests that unlike other INGLO-based
Mahindra vehicles that use batteries and electric motors from BYD, the Thor.e
could have motors from VW delivering up to 107 hp and 135
Nm up front as well as 282 hp and 535 Nm at the rear
axle. The Thor.e may be offered with 60 kWh and 80 kWh battery packs.
