Mahindra expects Thar to displace the Scorpio as its flagship brand
Thar Roxx-- its midsize SUV offering launched on Thursday, and its existing two-door variant to become its largest selling flagship brand in volume terms, displacing the Scorpio brand, said Rajesh Jejurikar, executive director for auto and farm equiment sectors, M&M
With Roxx priced from Rs12.99 lakh Rs20.49 lakh (ex-showroom) and pitted against the Hyundai Creta, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Kia Seltos, Mahindra is eyeing a leadership position in the midsize-SUV segment (priced over Rs12.5 lakh) over the next three to five years.
While the Scorpio-N and Scorpio Classic, which are averaging 12000 to 14000 units a month, will continue to be significant for the company, “the Thar has the potential to be a mega brand,” Jejurikar told ET.
To be sure, the brand is important for M&M for more reasons. After a series of misses in the competitive SUV market, M&M introduced the Thar in 2020 in a completely new avatar. In a market where every other vehicle had an SUV tag, the re-introduction of the brand marked a change of tack in the company’s strategy---of sticking to its core competence of making rugged, true-blue, all-terrain SUVs. It helped the company redefine its brand DNA as it sought to make a strong comeback. The strategy paid off. It’s now the market leader in terms of revenue and second largest in volume terms.
Mahindra has invested Rs1000 crore in the development, tooling, and capacity creation of the Roxx. Between the three-door Thar and the Roxx (five-door), its Nashik plant has a fungible (mutually interchangeable)
