Mahindra Thar OG vs Force Gurkha 3-Door: Battle Of Two Homegrown Off-roaders

The Mahindra Thar OG is a nameplate that needs no introduction. Inspired by another global legend, the Thar has always been the go-to choice for people who like adventure and want their cars to be butch and capable. And while those traits of capability have always been true in the case of the Thar, Mahindra has given it an extensive upgrade with promises to make it a little more usable and comfortable to use on a daily basis. 

So how does the 2026 Thar OG's package now compare to the Force Gurkha, which is another very focused and purpose-built off-roader?

Price

• Mahindra offers a variety of variants, engines, transmission and drivetrain options with the Thar OG, and as a result, the starting price of the new Thar is a lot less than what the Force Gurkha is priced at. 

• At the top end, the Thar is around 2.6 lakhs more expensive than the first Gurkha owing to its wider range of equipment and safety features. 

Dimensions

• Both the Thar OG and Gurkha are tall and boxy SUVs. They may not have much in terms of length, but the ruggedness in their styling gives them a strong road presence.

• The Mahindra Thar has an advantage in terms of length, width and wheelbase. While the difference in length is still noticeable, the difference in width is negligible.

• Although the new Thar OG sits higher than before, it still falls short of the Gurkha in terms of ground clearance, but by only 1 mm.

• The biggest difference between the two cars in terms of dimensions is in the height parameter, where the Gurkha has a big advantage over the Thar OG. 

If you also want to know how it compares with the older Thar, check out this story.

Off-road Stats

It would be unfair to compare the two off-roaders without comparing their off-road stats. So here are the approach, breakover, and departure angles of both vehicles: 

• Thanks to the higher ground clearance of the Gurkha, it has a better breakover and departure angle than the Thar. It only has 1° less of an approach angle compared to the Thar. 

• You also get a better water wading capacity in the Force Gurkha thanks to a snorkel, which lets the car breathe even if the bonnet gets submerged in water. This will be useful when our urban cities go underwater with just 5 minutes of heavy rainfall.

Colour Options

• The colour options and even the choice of names for the colour options are pretty simple in the Force Gurkha, with 4 shades to choose from.

• In the Thar OG, not only do you get more color options, but you also get various degrees of grey and dark tones to choose from. 

• The Thar naturally has a black roof, while you don't get any dual-tone options in the Gurkha. 

Features

• The comparison might have been closed up until now, but it is very clear which is the more feature-loaded vehicle here.

• In the Gurkha, you only get the absolute basics. The cabin feels utilitarian with a dark theme and fabric upholstery. In the Thar OG, however, you get some feel-good features and rich materials like leatherette seats; things that you expect in a modern car.

• The tech package in the Thar OG is significantly better, with a bigger screen, better resolution, and a better user interface. In comparison, the Gurkha’s screen feels aftermarket and very basic.

• With this facelift, Mahindra has improved the safety package of the Thar. As a result, you now get 6 airbags instead of 2 in the Gurkha. The Thar also offers features like all-wheel disc brakes, a rear wiper and washer with defogger over the Gurkha.

Powertrain Options

MT- Manual Transmission, AT- Automatic Transmission (torque converter), RWD- Rear-wheel drive, 4WD- Four-wheel drive

• The 2026 Mahindra Thar OG offers you the option of two diesel engines and one turbo-petrol engine. On the other hand, the Force Gurkha is a diesel-only offering.

• The Gurkha might have a bigger engine purely in terms of displacement, but everything else, including the power, torque, and transmission options, are more in the Thar OG with its bigger 2.2-litre diesel.

• In the Thar OG, you also get rear-wheel-drive powertrains with all the engine options, while the Force Gurkha is a four-wheel-drive SUV only.

• The convenience of an automatic is only available with the bigger diesel and turbo-petrol engines of the Thar. The Gurkha is a manual-only SUV.

CarDekho Says…

We know for a fact that both cars are very capable when it comes to going off-road and taking you places where other cars can't. Sure, on paper the Gurkha might have better angles and even better water wading capacity, but the difference isn't night and day. 

However, the difference between the two cars in terms of the equipment they offer, in terms of how the cabin feels from inside, the materials, and the design that the car makers have used does vary significantly. The Gurkha feels properly industrial and purpose-built, and while the Thar is purpose-built as well, it does infuse some creature comforts and feel-good features to make the cabin feel slightly less utilitarian. It's a matter of an old-school off-roader versus a new, modern off-roader. 

The Thar OG also lets you choose between different engine, transmission, and drivetrain pairings, all available across a wide spectrum of price ranges. Whereas you are pretty limited with the Gurkha with the diesel manual powertrain. 

So this on-paper battle definitely tilts in the favour of the new Mahindra Thar OG, but in the real world things can be different. The character and the rawness of the Gurkha is something that only a few other cars offer in today's filtered world. Stay tuned for that comparison. 

Until then, here's another SUV that you can consider:

Maruti Jimny: A compact off-roader that has all the hardcore hardware to go anywhere but also infuses practicality with 5 doors and offers a more comfortable ride in the city.