2025 Mahindra Thar vs Maruti Jimny: Which Off-roader Should You Bring Home?
With the update, the Thar 3-door has gotten a fresh lease of life but is it enough to take its prime rival – the Maruti Jimny – on paper? We find out
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The Mahindra Thar 3-door was recently updated with some minor cosmetic and feature revisions that bring it more in line with the bigger Thar Roxx. While it is a rugged and capable off-roader with a substantial road presence, the Thar does have competition in the form of the Maruti Jimny and even the Force Gurkha. In this story, let’s check out how the new Thar 3-door stacks up against its prime Maruti rival, at least on paper:
Price
| Price Range (ex-showroom pan-India) |
2025 Mahindra Thar |
Maruti Jimny |
| Rs 9.99 lakh to Rs 16.99 lakh |
Rs 12.32 lakh to Rs 14.45 lakh |
- The Thar 3-door is more affordable at the entry level variant when compared to the corresponding trim of the Maruti off-roader.
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That said, the Jimny, which is a 5-door offering, is priced less than the equivalent higher variants of the new Mahindra Thar.
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Prices of the Jimny were recently slashed by up to Rs 60,000 following the revised GST norms.
Also Check Out: All Mahindra Cars New Prices After GST Rate Cut: Compare Old vs New Prices Here
Dimensions
| Parameter |
2025 Mahindra Thar |
Maruti Jimny |
Difference |
| Length |
3,985 mm |
3,985 mm |
No difference |
| Width |
1,820 mm |
1,645 mm |
+175 mm |
| Height |
1,850 mm (AXT), 1,855 mm (LXT) |
1,720 mm |
+135 mm |
| Wheelbase |
2,450 mm |
2,590 mm |
(-140 mm) |
| Ground Clearance |
226 mm |
210 mm |
+16 mm |
- While both the SUVs are equally long, it’s the Thar 3-door that is wider and taller than the Maruti Jimny, giving it better road presence.
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That said, the Jimny – being a 5-seater offering – has a longer wheelbase by 140 mm.
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In terms of ground clearance, it’s once again Mahindra’s off-roader that has an advantage of 16 mm.
Off-road Specifications
| Parameter |
2025 Mahindra Thar |
Maruti Jimny |
Difference |
| Approach angle |
41.2 degrees |
36 degrees |
+5.2 degrees |
| Breakover angle |
26.2 degrees |
24 degrees |
+2.2 degrees |
| Departure angle |
36 degrees |
46 degrees |
(-10 degrees) |
| Water wading capacity |
650 mm |
Not available |
– |
- The Thar 3-door has a better approach angle for steep climbs, but the Jimny has a better departure angle for sharp descents. That said, both are quite close when it comes to the breakover angle.
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While the Thar has a water wading capacity of 650 mm, Maruti hasn’t specified the number for its 5-door off-roader.
Powertrain Options
| Specification |
2025 Mahindra Thar |
Maruti Jimny |
||
| Engine |
1.5-litre diesel |
2-litre turbo-petrol |
2.2-litre diesel |
1.5-litre N/A petrol |
| Power |
118 PS |
152 PS |
132 PS |
105 PS |
| Torque |
300 Nm |
300 Nm (MT)/320 Nm (AT) |
300 Nm |
134 Nm |
| Transmission |
6-speed MT |
6-speed MT/6-speed AT* |
6-speed MT/6-speed AT* |
5-speed MT/ 4-speed AT* |
| Drivetrain^ |
RWD |
RWD/ 4WD |
4WD |
4WD |
*AT - Torque converter automatic transmission
^RWD - Rear-wheel drive, 4WD - 4-wheel drive
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The updated Thar, in this comparison, gets much more powerful engine choices, and it also has a diesel unit on offer, which the Jimny misses out on. Following the launch of the updated Thar 3-door, we have detailed the variant-wise powertrain options on offer.
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While the Jimny comes with 4WD as standard, the Thar gets both RWD and 4WD options, although the smaller 1.5-litre diesel engine doesn’t come with the choice of 4WD.
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Mahindra offers a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard with the Thar 3-door, while the Jimny gets a 5-speed manual transmission. In terms of automatic choices, the Mahindra SUV has a much superior 6-speed torque converter setup, while it is a 4-speed unit on the Maruti off-roader.
Features
| Standout Features |
2025 Mahindra Thar |
Maruti Jimny |
| Exterior |
|
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| Interior |
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| Comfort and Convenience |
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| Infotainment |
|
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| Safety |
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- Both the SUVs get some common touches in the form of LED tail lights, an all-black cabin theme with fabric upholstery, a rear parking camera, and ISOFIX child seat anchorages.
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That said, the recently updated Thar has a few advantages such as a bigger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a height-adjustable driver seat, and a 6-speaker sound system.
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On the other hand, Maruti’s off-roader comes with some extra amenities like auto-LED headlights with washer, near-flat reclinable front seats, automatic climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay, push-button start/stop, and six airbags.
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We have also done a detailed story on the variant-wise features available with the updated Mahindra Thar 3-door.
Verdict
While the Thar was updated recently with a few design and feature changes, it does still fall behind the Maruti Jimny on some parameters. That said, if you want the typical diesel engine under the hood for your occasional or frequent off-road trips, your only option here is the Mahindra SUV. It comes with a buffet of powertrain choices to help you pick the best one suitable for your needs. With the latest update, Mahindra has given it a fresh lease of life to continue in the market for another few years without any hiccups.
On the other hand, the Maruti Jimny – while being a decently sized 5-door offering – is still nimble on its feet, has a 4WD setup as standard, and is decently equipped for its price. If you want a no-nonsense off-roader with a sweet balance between off-roading and being a city-friendly car, the Jimny does manage to do both.
If you want to check out our detailed drive experience of the Maruti Jimny and the Force Gurkha, you can go through these reviews:
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