The SUV segment has been booming in India for the past few years. SUVs such as Thar made a comeback with the latest tech and comfort gaining immense buyers. Brands such as Tata & Mahindra have attracted a lot of buyers with products such as Scorpio-N, XUV700, Nexon & Safari. Talking about utility vehicles, we also have the pickup truck segment emerging with the recently launched Hilux in India, but we need a more affordable pickup truck based on Thar:
Why is it needed?
Considering the pickup truck segment in India, we had the Tata Xenon & Scorpio Getaway, which are long gone and missed. We have Isuzu & Toyota with their respective lifestyle pickup trucks. While Isuzu has been in our market for a significant time, Hilux has just entered with a high price.
Also Read: Hyundai Tucson vs Mahindra XUV700
Mahindra has the right platform, experience & technology to compete with the other brands. They already have a good amount of buyers with an increasing market with the respective launches. The pickup truck segment is also expected to grow, and we need an affordable lifestyle truck that Mahindra can offer.
How Can Mahindra pull this off?
Mahindra is already working on the 5-door version of the Thar; it has been spied testing on our roads a few times. Mahindra can make the same version into a Thar Pickup with some modifications. They can fill up the void below the V-Cross and gain significant buyers with a good product.
Also Read: 5 Door Mahindra Thar vs 3 Door Mahindra Thar
It already has a longer wheelbase; the extra cabin space can be utilized for the pickup carriage space. Hence Mahindra can do it without compromising the seating space and convenience features. They could still offer the 5-door version as a more premium & practical version of the Thar.
What Can We Expect?
If this becomes a reality and we have the Thar pickup in the market. It will have similar powertrains with some tuning tweaks and a 4X4 drivetrain. It will have the other features carried forward from the Thar itself and edit them based on the trims offered.
Also Read: Mahindra Scorpio Getaway: Scorpio But, A Pickup Truck!
They already have their commercial pickup truck in our market, and the left-hand drive Scorpio-based pickup truck was also spied testing. They can make another product out of the Thar; it will not differ much in terms of powertrain & features. But the design & body will be re-engineered according to the segment & structure.
Also Read: 2020 Mahindra Thar vs Suzuki Jimny: Can Maruti Conquer Offroading?
Although there is no official word about this idea, it is wanted by many. We can never say that it won’t be a reality. What do you think about the Thar Pickup?
It will surely be a hit. Price will be a crucial factor