Mahindra Thar

From cars like Major and Armada to SUVs like the Scorpio N, Mahindra has a history of making vehicles that can go anywhere and do anything without breaking a sweat. But none of them achieved a cult following like the Mahindra Thar. Born in 2010 and given a second lease of life in 2020, the Thar is the first car which pops into your head when someone mentions an “off-road SUV”. It has an iconic design, capable mechanicals, daily use features, and just enough space to fit four before heading to an adventure.

But, it's not alone anymore as a few other off-roaders have entered its segment like the Maruti Jimny and the Force Gurkha, both of which offer similar capabilities. Also, the competition has become tighter since the Thar has not seen a major update in half a decade. In 2025, does the Thar still make sense as a daily use vehicle, or has it become a thing of the past?

There is no denying that the Thar is a good looking car. It has been around for 5 years, but you’d still look at one if it passes by. Its size and ruggedness never fails to grab attention, and it's one of those few cars which people love to customize. However, there is a clear resemblance with the Jeep Wrangler, that’s not going away anytime soon.

The front profile is what catches your eyes the most, and this is also where most of the resemblance to the Wrangler lies. You get round halogen headlamps, a 6-slat grille, wide wheel arches with integrated indicators, and a chunky bumper big enough for you to sit.

Its side profile is as boxy as SUVs get. Despite being a 3-door version, the Thar looks big from this angle. It sits on 18-inch alloy wheels (lower variant gets 16-inch steel wheels) which fit perfectly in the wheel arches, and they come with all-terrain tyres so that you can go off-roading with ease. Here, you don’t get any cladding under the doors, but there is a side step, and a massive ground clearance of 226mm.

The rear profile is fairly simple. You get a flat design, rectangular LED tail lamps, a two-tone shade, a comparatively smaller bumper, and a tail-gate mounted spare wheel. Earlier, Mahindra used to offer a full size spare alloy wheel, but cost cutting has led them to replace this with a steel wheel and a wheel cover in the RWD variants.

Coming to likes and dislikes, there isn’t much to not like here. Mahindra set out to make a car which makes the owner feel powerful, and want to go off-road, and succeeded. The Thar, even after 5 years of its launch, looks great and the only thing I’d want to change is the lighting setup. Interestingly, the Thar facelift is expected to borrow these elements from the larger Thar Roxx.

Design & Quality

While the cabin off the Thar matches its rugged nature, it has started to look old. Cars like the Thar Roxx and even the Jimny have rugged cabin, but they have also infused modern elements to keep the car feeling upmarket. This, unfortunately, is not the case with the Thar, but it’s close to getting a facelift, which will most definitely bring a more premium cabin.

It comes with an all-black cabin theme, with a flat and small dashboard like most off-roaders, and a grab handle for the co-driver. The entire dashboard is made of hard plastic with little to no contrasting elements, making it look a little dull.

Mahindra has used a lot of hard plastic on the dashboard and on the doors, but that suits the rugged nature of the Thar. Also, the plastics do not feel scratchy, and are just about acceptable for the price. But, as seen in the Thar Roxx, premium soft touch materials can be used in a rugged styling, which the standard Thar is likely to get in its upcoming update.

As for seats, you get black fabric upholstery, with a vinyl wrap on the edges. They do look semi-leatherette, but the vinyl feels cheap, and needs to be upgraded. Other than this, there are no major issues in terms of quality. Yes, much better materials would have felt nicer, but this car is now 5 years old, and the update is expected to make the cabin more premium.

Front Seats

Before talking about the front seats, we first need to mention the ingress and egress process. Being a tall off-roader, getting inside the Thar is not easy. In almost all cases, and for most people, getting in and out will require using the side step and grab handle. This does give you a feeling of getting in a big and powerful car, but for elderly in the family, getting in and out becomes a huge task which will require a lot of effort.

Once inside, you’ll realise there’s ample amount of space. Due to the car’s height and boxy design, you get great headroom, and good underthigh support. The thick bolsters also hold you in place when you’re off-roading. However, the footwell does feel a little cramped, especially for those with large feet.

The seats have a balanced cushioning, not too hard and not too soft, which means you can sit comfortably in both long and short journeys. You also get adjustable front headrests which offer good support during long highway drives.

For adjustability, you get height adjustment for the driver seat from the base variant, and the steering wheel has tilt adjustment. If Mahindra had offered telescopic steering adjustment, then finding your ideal driving position would have been easier.

While sitting in the driver’s seat, you get a “King of the road” kind of feeling due to the high commanding position. Also, while it is a big car, you still get great visibility due to big windows, a flat windshield, and massive ORVMs.

Rear Seat

The experience of Thar’s rear seats is completely different from the front. Firstly, due to the lack of rear doors, getting in and out takes quite a lot of effort. To get to the rear seat, you have to slide and recline the front passenger seat, and then squeeze yourself in a small gap, which is hectic. This is not only difficult for the elderly, but also for young people if they're doing it regularly. This makes it clear that the Thar is intended to be a lifestyle vehicle, not a daily commuter.

As for space, it is limited. There is only enough space for two passengers, and thankfully Mahindra is selling it as a four-seater not a five. The headroom is good, but legroom and knee room is limited, as well as the underthigh and back support. For comparison, the Jimny, which is smaller, offers a better rear seat experience for 2 passengers.

There is no central armrest here. However, passengers get individual armrests under the windows. To add more convenience, rear passengers also get adjustable headrests. Visibility from here is decent. You do get large windows, but they can’t be opened. Also, the large front headrests and the cabin’s dark theme hampers frontal visibility.

Storage Options

Off roaders tend to not be very practical in terms of storage spaces, and Thar is no different. It gets a tiny glovebox, small bottle holders in both doors, a tray in the centre console, two cupholders in the front, and storage in the centre armrest.

Rear passengers get two cupholders on both outboard armrests.

Charging Options

Just like storage options, charging options are also limited here. Front passengers do get a 12V socket and 2 USB ports, but there is no type-C port, and the rear passengers do not get any charging ports.

Overall, the Thar’s cabin does what it's meant to do: give a rugged vibe to match the car’s off-road persona. But, it compromises on space and practicality, which is a basic requirement for anyone, and it has now started to look and feel outdated.

Features

Before getting into the infotainment package, first have a look at the daily use functional features of the Thar.

Apart from these basic features, the Thar also gets a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Here, the user interface and basic graphics makes the experience feel outdated. This screen does support wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but it is a little laggy, and a better infotainment system should have been present.

These features are enough for your everyday use, but the competition does offer a better infotainment package along with a few additional niceties.

In terms of safety, it gets dual-front airbags, ABS with EBD, hill hold and descent control, electronic stability program, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and rear parking sensors. It misses out on features like 6 airbags and a rear parking camera.

It also boasts of a 4-star Global NCAP rating.

When the second row is up, there is just enough space in the Thar’s boot to keep two cabin-sized suitcases. If you need to carry more luggage, you’ll have to tumble down the rear seats, which will give you a 600-litre boot capacity, enough to keep practically anything you want to carry.

While there is space, keeping your luggage is not easy since the boot lip is very high. However, once you do manage to keep your luggage there, the flat floor makes it easy to move your bags around.

Specifications

Out of all its rivals, the Thar is the only one which offers both petrol and diesel engine options, along with both rear-wheel and four-wheel drivetrains. This alone makes it more appealing to a wider set of customers.

1.5-litre Diesel

This is the smallest engine placed under the Thar’s bonnet, and it's meant for those who want the Thar for its looks not for its capabilities. Mahindra offers it only with a manual transmission and that too with a rear-wheel-drive setup, and this engine offers a relaxed drive experience. An automatic here would have been appreciated.

City Performance

This engine is acceptably refined for a diesel. What I liked the most about driving the Thar RWD diesel was the clutch, which felt light, leading to easier city commutes. There is enough power for quick city overtakes, and there is enough low end torque that you can easily cruise around in the city while being in 2nd or 3rd gear.

Being a diesel engine, it is also fuel efficient. You can expect a mileage of around 10-12kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

On the highway, you won’t get any extraordinary driving experience. It cruises easily at 80-90kmph, but struggles at accelerating beyond that. The drive is smooth, and the engine does not feel stressed at any point, but overtakes will require some planning, and so will getting to triple digit speeds. On the plus side, you can get a fuel efficiency of around 15-16kmpl on the highway, and more if you’re just cruising.

2.2-litre Diesel

This is the all rounder in Thar’s powertrain options, as it gives you both performance and fuel efficiency, while also being paired to a proper 4x4 setup. It is slightly noisy, you will feel vibrations on the steering wheel, footwell, and gear lever, but that’s part of the experience.

City Performance

This engine has more than enough power for your city usage. Overtakes are effortless, you feel the power at lower rpm, and you can cruise in second gear with ease. With the manual, you get a fairly light clutch, but if you drive in the city a lot, we’d recommend the automatic. It changes gears smoothly and downshifts whenever necessary (albeit with a slight lag). With this engine, you get a fuel economy of around 11-12kmpl in the city with the manual transmission. The automatic versions are likely to deliver around 8-10kmpl.

Highway Performance

This is where the differences between the larger and smaller engines are most apparent. This accelerates quickly, getting to high speeds takes less time, overtakes require no planning, and in-gear acceleration is much stronger too. This engine does not feel lazy and you can get a fun-to-drive experience out of it.

2-litre Turbo-petrol

This is the most refined engine you can get with the Thar, and also the most powerful one. Here, you get both manual and automatic transmission options, along with both rear-wheel drive and 4x4 setups.

City Performance

City performance is similar to the bigger diesel engine where you have more than enough power for quick overtakes. Its clutch is also lighter which means driving in traffic becomes easier and less painful for your left knee. Here as well you get the option of an automatic transmission, which is what we’d recommend for a more convenient drive experience. 

However, unlike the diesel engine, the petrol asks you to frequently change gears in the city, and it is also not good for your wallet, as it gives only around 7-8kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

You’ll enjoy your highway drives with this engine. It offers a fun and exciting driving experience which will make you feel like the most powerful person on the road. Overtakes will be effortless and reaching triple digits will take no time. Even on the highways, we’d recommend you go for the automatic as the gear shifts are smooth and jerk free. Here you can get a fuel efficiency of around 10-12kmpl.

Off-road Performance

Thar is an off-roader first, and a city commuter later. With its 4x4 variants, you can easily go through mud, drive over rocks, and take on any terrain. Whether it was muddy-slushy terrain in Maharashtra during peak monsoon, or the snowy landscapes of Ladakh, the Thar 4x4 managed to sail through without breaking a sweat. 

Overall, in terms of its powertrains and capabilities, there is nothing to complain about, and the only thing missing is an automatic transmission with the smaller diesel engine.

Ride Quality

This is where the Thar struggles. On poorly built roads, and on off-road patches, the Thar’s ride quality is acceptable. However, in regular city use, where you encounter smaller potholes and rough patches, the Thar throws you around inside the cabin.

There is a significant amount of side to side movement, which the passengers have to face, and even on smooth highways, it feels jumpy over the smallest undulations.

Handling

This is not a car which you’d want to throw around a corner. The Thar is more in its element, when it's driving over mud, slush, and rocks, where it handles itself well, and does not give you any reason to complain.

But, sudden lane changes on the highway leave you with a lot of movement, and if you try taking a high speed corner, the Thar will not feel stable. In the city, the steering wheel is slightly hard, which makes normal maneuvers a little difficult, and on the highway, the weight is not enough to inspire confidence.

Mahindra offers the Thar in just two variants: AX Opt and LX.

AX Opt

• Gets 16-inch steel wheels, body coloured bumpers, and LED tail lamps.

• The cabin has an all-black theme, vinyl upholstery, adjustable headrests, and height adjustable driver seat.

• Features include manual AC, manual ORVM, and front power windows.

• Safety features include rear parking sensors, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, hill start and descent control (1.5 diesel only), and electronic stability program (ESP).

LX

• Exterior upgrades include 18-inch alloy wheels and black bumpers.

• Cabin gets fabric seats as the only major upgrade.

• Feature additions include cruise control, electrically adjustable ORVMs, steering mounted controls, and a coloured MID.

• Also gets an infotainment package with a 7-inch touchscreen, and a 6-speaker sound system.

• Safety kit includes a tyre pressure monitoring system and ISOFIX child seat mounts.

CarDekho Recommends

• If you’re planning to customize your Thar, pick the base variant as it covers all your basics, and use the money left to buy aftermarket accessories like an infotainment package and exterior upgrades.

• Otherwise, pick the LX variant for a better experience.

The Mahindra Thar tries to be a true modern off-road SUV that can handle any kind of terrain without breaking a sweat, and while it can take on any challenge, it is not modern anymore. In no way is this something you should consider buying INSTEAD of a similarly priced compact SUV. It doesn’t have that comfort, on road manners or features. It will most likely be the secondary car in the garage, but is, with some small compromises, good enough to be the only one.

Other Cars To Consider

Maruti Jimny

Reasons To Consider

• Better ride comfort

• More affordable

Reasons To Ignore

• Less features

• Not as spacious

Mahindra Thar Roxx (5-door)

Reasons To Consider

• Better practicality and rear seat space

• More features

Reasons To Ignore

• None

Force Gurkha 5-door

Reasons To Consider

• More space

Reasons To Ignore

• Bare minimum features

• Less powerful engine