Joseph Fernandes 
In this article, we’ll compare the current 3-Door Thar against the upcoming 5-Door Thar that is scheduled for launch in 2024 to see what exterior, interior, and features it has and how is it competitive against its rivals.
Mahindra Thar 3-Door vs 5-Door: Design
From the outside, the front profile of both the versions are identical except the 5-Door version obviously has an extra door. But if we look at in detail, the 3-Door has halogen headlamps while the 5-Door version has LED headlamps and within those headlamp unit, it has round LED DRLs similar to Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon. Moreover, the fog lamp unit on the bumper is halogen on 3-Door, and LED on the 5-Door.
Moving to the side profile, the 3-Door was a convertible, and therefore, the roof could’ve been removed anytime we want, but in the 5-Door Version, it’s not convertible making the roof un-removable and to compensate for that, Mahindra is providing single-pane sunroof although it should’ve been panoramic sunroof given how big the SUV is going in length compared to 3-Door version. Moreover, both the versions alloy wheel design looks the same, but the 5-Door Thar will have bigger wheels than the 3-Door Thar.
Moving to the rear, both the versions look exactly the same yet the difference is the rear windscreen appears to open which wasn’t an option on the 3-Door Thar. Jumping on the inside, the interiors will look similar yet there are differences. The 3-Door version comes with an 7-inch infotainment and analog instrument cluster with an TFT display while on the 5-Door version, it’ll get the new 10.25-inch infotainment system, and a new instrument cluster that could be similar to the Scorpio-N.
Moreover, the rear seat experience in the 3-Door was not good because of very minimal leg room which won’t be an issue in the 5-Door version. The 5-Door version gets new steering wheel borrowed from the XUV700 over the 3-Door.
Mahindra Thar 3-Door vs 5-Door: Engine Options
| Engine | 1.5 L 4 Cylinder Diesel | 2.2 L 4 Cylinder Diesel | 2.0 L 4 Cylinder Turbo Petrol |
| Displacement | 1497cc | 2184cc | 1997cc |
| Power | 116.93 BHP | 130 BHP | 128.22 BHP |
| Torque | 300 NM | 300 NM | 300 NM – MT 320 NM – AT |
| Transmission Type | 6 Speed MT | 6 Speed MT / AT | 6 Speed MT / AT |
When it comes to Engine Options, the 3 Door version is offered with 3 Engine Options – 2 Diesels, and 1 Turbo Petrol Option. The 1.5 L 4 Cylinder Diesel is for Rear-Wheel-Drive (RWD) for lower trims, and this engine produces 116.93 BHP and 300 NM of torque mated to 6 Speed Manual Only Gearbox. Next is another 2.2 L 4 Cylinder Diesel Engine for the 4-Whee-Drive (4WD), and this engine generates 130 BHP and 300 NM of torque mated to 6 Speed Manual and Automatic Gearbox.
Last but not the least, it has the 2.0 L 4 Cylinder Turbo Petrol Engine for the Rear-Wheel-Drive (RWD), and 4-Wheel-Drive (4WD), and this engine produces 128.22 BHP and 300 NM of torque for 6 Speed Manual Gearbox, and 320 NM of torque for the 6 Speed Automatic Gearbox. It is unlikely the 5-Door Thar will get any new engine but it’s possible it may not get the 1.5 L Diesel Engine and continue with the 2.2 L Diesel and 2.0 L Turbo Petrol engine only.
Mahindra Thar 3-Door vs 5-Door: Features, Price, and Launch
In Features, the 3-Door Thar comes with 7-inch Infotainment System, 18-inch Alloy Wheels, 6 Speaker Standard Sound System, height adjustable driver seat, Manual AC, Cruise Control, Electronic Brake Locking Differential, Mechanical Locking Differential, Hill Descent Control, Tyre-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), 2 Airbags, and more.
This will be improved in the 5-Door version and it’ll come with new 10.25-inch infotainment system, 6 Airbags, Automatic Climate Control, Single-Pane Sunroof, Semi-Digital Instrument Cluster (Could be same as Scorpio-N), new LED headlamps, Reverse-Parking Camera, and so much more.
| Model | Price (ex-showroom) |
|---|---|
| Mahindra Thar (3-Door) | Rs. 10.98 – Rs. 16.94 L |
| Mahindra Thar (5-Door) | Expected Rs. 15 L |
The Mahindra Thar 3-Door price ranges from Rs. 10.98 Lakh for the base ‘LX 4-Str Hard Top RWD Automatic’ variant, and Rs. 16.94 Lakh for the top variant, ‘LX 4 Str Hard Top Automatic 4WD.’ The 5-Door Thar however is expected to start from Rs. 15 Lakh.
As for the launch, the Mahindra Thar 5-Door is scheduled for launch sometime in 2024 as Mahindra confirmed, and upon its launch it’ll compete with the recently launched 5-Door Maruti Jimny, and the new upcoming 5-Door Force Gurkha.
Mahindra Thar 3-Door vs 5-Door: What’s the Difference between the two?