Mahindra Thar is all set to be launched on October 2, 2020. The first unit of the All-New Thar was placed under an auction before its official launch. This was basically done to provide aid to COVID’19 relief workers. The auction for #1 Thar commenced on the 24th of September. Yesterday was the final day of the auction and the bidding crossed the Rs 1 crore mark. The winning bid for #1 Thar was Rs 1.11 crore which was entered by Delhi-based Akash Minda.
Talking about the auction details, over 5400 individuals had registered for it. The bidding started at a reserve price of Rs 25 lakhs. Interested bidders had to bid in multiples of Rs 25,000. On the first day itself, the bidding amount crossed Rs 80 lakh mark, which is three times more than the reserve price of the #1 Thar. On the final day's morning, the bidding amount reached Rs 92.50 lakhs. To everyone’s surprise, the final bidding amount was parked at Rs 1.11 crore by Akash Minda. The winner will get to choose the Thar variant and colour of the SUV. Also, the #1 Thar will flaunt customized badging with his initials, serial number 1 on the VIN plate along with leatherette seats.
As for the winning bid amount is concerned, part of it will be paid to Mahindra for #1 Thar, and part of the amount will be donated to one of the three organizations engaged in COVID’19 relief work. The three organizations are the Naandi Foundation, Swades Foundation, and the PM CARES fund. The funds will be donated to the organization of Akash Minda’s choice. Apart from this, Mahindra will also donate Rs 1.11 crore from their end along with the winning bidding amount. So, a total amount of Rs 2.2 crore will be donated for the noble cause.
2020 Mahindra Thar will come loaded with a plethora of first-in-segment features. The SUV will be based on a new ladder chassis. It will come equipped with both petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol variants will be powered by a 2.0-litre 'mStallion' petrol unit paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox along with a 6-speed automatic transmission as an option. While the diesel variants will get a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel unit linked to a 6-speed manual gearbox along with a 6-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.