Mahindra & Mahindra commences deliveries of new Thar SUV

Domestic auto major Mahindra & Mahindra on Saturday commenced the deliveries of the latest version of its iconic SUV, Thar, with the first vehicle going to auto component maker Minda Corporation's CEO Aakash Minda.

Minda had placed the winning bid of Rs 1.11 crore in the six-day long online auction for the first unit of the vehicle in late September. Mahindra Group on Saturday handed over the all-new Thar to Aakash Minda, winner of the online auction for the very first vehicle, the company said in a release.

Minda opted for the fully loaded LX petrol automatic transmission convertible variant of the latest version of the SUV, it said adding the vehicle was delivered to him in New Delhi. "I would like to congratulate Aakash Minda, as the very first owner of the All-New Thar.

This is a historic moment, given the excitement the auction had created," said Veejay Nakra, CEO, Automotive Division at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

Mid-last month, Mahindra had announced raising production of Thar after receiving an overwhelming response to the new Thar.

The new version of Thar was launched on October 2. Priced between Rs 9.8 lakh and Rs 13.75 lakh (ex-showroom), M&M has introduced the model in two trims -- AX and LX -- with both petrol and diesel powertrain options.

All the variants of new Thar come with a four-wheel-drive set-up. Mahindra had held the online auction for the All-New Thar to raise funds for Covid-19 relief efforts.

The winning bidder had the option to choose from three non-profit organisations, to donate the proceeds of the auction, and Minda opted for the Swades Foundation, with Mahindra matching the winning bid to bring the total donation amount to Rs 2.22 crore.