Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

Mahindra & Mahindra is re-entering the off-road compact SUV segment with Thar, a reworked version of the Commander Jeep that was pulled off the roads in early 2000. The Mumbai-based utility vehicle major plans to price the sports utility vehicle at around Rs 7 lakh and launch it in Kerala and Rajasthan next month.

The Thar has been selling in the South African markets, since the past two years, for `9.5-10 lakh. It is the need for a retro-styled product that has forced M&M to launch the product in Indian markets. This is a niche, retro-styled product and there will be a lot of young buyers and Jeep fans for such a vehicle. The vehicle will be sold in soft top and hard top versions.

The Mahindra Thar, a derivative of the globally renowned Commander Jeep 5 (CJ5), has improved suspensions and features and better ground clearance to take on tough roads. It is powered by a 2.5 litre CRDi diesel engine. M&M plans to produce the Thar on the Scorpio SUV assembly line at its Kandivili unit and hopes to sell 5,000 vehicles a year.