2026 Mahindra Thar OG Off-road Review: How Does It Explore The Impossible?

The Thar OG was launched recently with major chassis and suspension upgrades over the outgoing Thar. Launched at Rs 10.32 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards, it now includes a lot more tech and robust hardware for off-roading enthusiasts if you want to take your Thar OG beyond just city roads. 

Let’s explore how the new Thar OG gets better at off-roading with the new tech and hardware:

M-Glyde Platform

The new Thar OG is now based on the Thar Roxx’s M-Glyde platform, which makes it torsionally stiffer and supports newer suspension technology that makes a tangible difference to the on-road and off-road capabilities. The Thar Roxx is known for its commendable on-road manners and off-road abilities, considering it is based on an old-school body-on-frame chassis.

And thankfully, these qualities have translated well to the new Thar OG. The ride quality has indeed improved from being bearable to being enjoyable to travel in. 

Off-Roading Abilities 

The Thar has strong ancestral roots in off-roading. And the pedigree continues here thanks to the addition of traction modes called mud, snow and sand. Being an off-roader at its core, the Thar OG also has some good off-road-capable numbers listed below:

In the real world, these numbers are marginal improvements when we are strictly speaking of hard-core off-roading, since it had already set a high bar. These angles and clearance numbers worked well with the new suspension hardware and chassis upgrades. 

Pentalink Suspension

One of the weaknesses of the outgoing Thar was its suspension capabilities. Given that the Thar OG sits on a body-on-frame chassis, unlike a monocoque chassis, the challenges are much greater to smooth out road imperfections and avoid being tossed around. While it did a good job for off-roading, it was compromised for road use. Slow-speed ride quality and highway stability were not its best qualities. 

However, this changes with the Pentalink suspension, with a Watts link and the DaVinci dampers. We saw this setup being introduced in the XUV 7XO. The XUV 7XO is praised for its city-speed ride and highway stability, and we are happy to report that some of its qualities have made themselves evident in the Thar OG.

Electronic Locking Differential (ELD)

One of the features that a true modern off-roader needs to have today is an electronic locking differential. With the press of a button on the centre console, the rear differential of the Thar OG can be locked to send equal amounts of power and wheel rotation to both wheels when driving on low-traction terrain. 

During our off-road drive, the Thar OG showed a tangible difference in catching slippage and traction as compared to the older mechanical locking differential (MLD). The ELD responds immediately during slippage, while the MLD took more time to sense and react on low-traction terrain. 

Brake Locking Differential

While the rear wheels get an ELD, the front wheels on the Thar OG get a brake locking differential (BLD).

This is a sensor-based braking system, which depends on the ABS and wheel speed sensors to brake the individual front wheels when they have unnecessary wheelspin, essentially acting as a traction-control system.

4x4 (Four-Wheel-Drive)

One of the quintessential qualities of a true off-road SUV is the 4WD and 2WD selector. The manually selectable lever sits beside the gear lever which includes 2H (two-wheel drive high), which should be used most of the time for casual driving, then 4H (four-wheel drive high) for extra traction, but can be driven at city and highway speeds in regular gears.

Below that, we find the neutral position for the transfer case, which disengages power to the wheels fully, despite the vehicle being in any gear. Then, we find 4L (four-wheel drive low), which is for low-speed off-roading in very low traction and tricky terrains. This helps reduce the gear ratios and helps multiply the torque of the gearbox to easily get out of tough terrain.

Terrain Modes

Given that this is a modern off-roader, it includes off-road modes like mud, snow and sand. These are different traction control modes which behave differently depending on the selected terrain.

The Thar OG now also includes hill-hold control (HHC), which prevents roll-back on steep inclines. Meanwhile, hill-descent control (HDC) helps the Thar OG roll down a steep hill in a slow and controlled manner, requiring the driver to just make sure the vehicle moves in a straight line. 

The Thar OG has gotten us unstuck using these electronic aids. Especially, the sand mode did come in handy during our playtime with the Thar OG.

CarDekho Says…

The Thar OG has always been about going beyond the beaten path, and Mahindra has now made it considerably more capable without compromising its core character. The new M-Glyde platform, Pentalink suspension, electronic locking differential and terrain modes add meaningful improvements to its off-road ability, while also making it more comfortable and stable on regular roads.

It still isn’t the SUV you buy for outright practicality, especially with its three-door layout. But if your priority is off-road capability, a compact footprint and the sheer fun of driving a Thar, the latest Thar OG has plenty going for it.

Would you pick the Thar OG as your off-road toy? Let us know in the comments.