Mahindra Thar History

Mahindra's journey to the Thar stretches back to 1949, when the company began assembling Willys CJ3A jeeps under licence in Bombay — India's first automotive assembly of a 4x4. Over decades those Jeep-licensed vehicles evolved through the CJ3B (licensed 1954) and the MM540 (1985), the first Mahindra off-roader to shed the 'CJ' badge and develop an in-house identity. When that lineage was phased out by 2005, a gap emerged.

The first-generation Thar launched on 4 October 2010 to fill that void, directly picking up the solid-axle, body-on-frame 4x4 formula in a package that could serve both working duties and the emerging Indian adventure-lifestyle market. Powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged diesel making 63 hp, it was honest rather than polished, and quickly built a devoted following.

The second-generation Thar arrived on 15 August 2020, a complete ground-up redesign. It offered a choice of a 2.0-litre turbopetrol or a 2.2-litre turbodiesel, a proper dual-cab four-door body style alongside the traditional three-door, and modern safety and infotainment — while keeping the low-range transfer case and solid axles that define the nameplate. A facelifted version of the second generation followed in October 2025.