
It is time to compare the Mahindra Thar against the Hyundai Creta to see which SUV is worth buying. Should you buy the Off-road Thar SUV, or Mid-Size Creta SUV? Well, let’s find out, shall we!
Mahindra Thar vs Hyundai Creta – Exterior and Interior


From the outside, the Mahindra Thar will remind you of the Jeep Wrangler because of the resemblance between the two SUVs. At the front, the Thar has a round headlamps with six vertical bars on the grille, the front bumper is made of hard plastic, and flat bonnet. Moving to the side, it has square windows, big wheel arches as it rides on 18-inch alloy wheels, and rectangle glass top of the wheel arches for rear passengers to see outside. The roof of the Thar is removable given if you buy the convertible variant. At the rear, the spare alloy wheel is mounted on the tailgate that opens to the right side and not upwards, rectangle LED taillights with Thar letting on it, and skid plate on the rear bumper.


As you can see at the front of the Creta, it has square-shaped grille with top edges curved and is finished in chrome with four horizontal line across the grille. Split LED DRLS with tri-square shaped LED lights with fog lamps and indicators below them and the bumpers are finished in faux silver skid plate. Moving to the side, it’s simple looking with roof rails on top and 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels. At the rear, the LED taillamps looks similar to the split headlamps at the front.


From the inside, the Mahindra Thar has a 7-inch infotainment system placed above the round AC vents with climate controls below. It has grab-handle on the dashboard in case you go hard on off-roading, and doesn’t have the dual-tone dashboard option. The Thar has three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with Analog instrument cluster with TFT display, and fabric seats upholstery. It has 2 levers, one is the gear lever, and the other is the 4WD Manual Shift with High and Low Reduction Gear. It doesn’t have a sunroof as the roof can be completely removed for more off-road feels. The rear seats comfort is decent, the seats split are in 60:40 ratio, and it has 6-speaker sound system.
As for the Creta, it has a 10.25-inch infotainment system placed below the AC vent and at the sides it has vertically positioned AC vents. The Creta does not have the dual-tone theme dashboard option unfortunately. It has multi-function four-spoke steering wheel with digital instrument cluster, the pedals finished in silver color, and a huge panoramic sunroof. Around the gear lever which is designed like the one in Planes or similar to the one’s in Audi, it has rotary dials for drive modes, button for electric parking brake with auto hold function, and for the ventilated seat . It has two USB-A ports at the front, and two at the rear. The rear seats has 50:50 split which can be reclined as well.
Mahindra Thar vs Hyundai Creta – Dimensions
Mahindra Thar | Hyundai Creta | |
---|---|---|
Length | 3985mm | 4300mm |
Width | 1820mm | 1790mm |
Height | 1855mm | 1635mm |
Wheelbase | 2450mm | 2610mm |
Ground Clearance | 226mm | 190mm |
Boot Space | – | 433 litres |
Fuel Tank Capacity | 57 litres | 50 litres |
Kerb Weight | 1,755 kg | 1,690 kg |
When it comes to dimensions, the Mahindra Thar measures 3985mm in length, 1820mm in width, and 1855mm in height. The Hyundai Creta has a length of 4300mm which is 315mm longer, width of 1790mm which is 30mm less wide, and height of 1635mm that is shorter by 220mm. The Thar has a wheelbase of 2450mm, and ground clearance of 226mm where as the Creta has a wheelbase of 2610mm which is 160mm longer, and ground clearance of 190mm that is 36mm higher. The Thar has a fuel tank of 57 litres, and kerb weight of 1,755 kg while the Creta has a fuel tank of 50 litres that is smaller by 7 litres and kerb weight of 1,690 kg which is lighter by 65 kg.
So, in Dimensions, the Creta is bigger in some way, and the Thar is bigger in some way.
Mahindra Thar vs Hyundai Creta – Engine Options
Mahindra Thar | ||
---|---|---|
Engine | 1.5-litre turbo diesel | 2.2-litre turbo diesel |
Displacement | 1497cc | 2184cc |
Power | 116.93 bhp | 130 bhp |
Torque | 300 Nm | 300 Nm |
Transmission Type | 6-speed MT | 6-speed MT, 6-speed AT |
When it comes to Engine Options, the Thar has two turbo diesel powertrains on offer. The 1.5-litre turbo diesel that puts out 116.93 bhp and 300 Nm of torque paired to a 6-speed Manual Only Gearbox. Then there is the 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine that produces 130 bhp and 300 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed Manual and 6-speed Torque Converter Automatic Gearbox. Hyundai Creta does not have turbo diesel engines.
Mahindra Thar | |
---|---|
Engine | 2.0-litre turbo petrol |
Displacement | 1997cc |
Power | 128.22 bhp |
Torque | 300 Nm – MT 320 Nm – AT |
Transmission Type | 6-speed MT, 6-speed AT |
The Thar has a turbo petrol powertrain as well other than the turbo diesel. The 2.0-litre turbo petrol produces 128.21 bhp and 300 Nm of torque in 6-speed Manual Gearbox and 320 Nm of torque in 6-speed Torque Converter Automatic gearbox.
Hyundai Creta | ||
---|---|---|
Engines | 1.5-litre diesel | 1.5-litre petrol |
Displacement | 1493cc | 1498cc |
Power | 113 bhp | 113 bhp |
Torque | 250 Nm | 143.8 Nm |
Transmission Type | 6-speed MT, 6-speed AT | 6-speed MT, IVT |
Fuel Efficiency | 23 kmpl | 17 kmpl |
Well, the Hyundai Creta may not have turbo powertrain, but it’s got non-turbo diesel and petrol powertrain. The 1.5-litre diesel engine produces 113 bhp and 250 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed Manual and 6-speed Automatic Gearbox with 23 kmpl fuel efficiency. Then there is the 1.5-litre petrol engine which produces 113 bhp and 143.8 Nm of torque paired to a 6-speed Manual and IVT Gearbox.
Mahindra Thar vs Hyundai Creta – Features
Features | Mahindra Thar | Hyundai Creta |
---|---|---|
Headlamps | Halogen | LED |
Taillamps | LED | LED |
Wheel Size & Type | 18-inch alloy wheels | 17-inch alloys wheels |
Sunroof | – | Panoramic |
Auto Power Window | Yes | Yes |
Seat upholstery | Fabric | Leather |
Leather-wrapped steering wheel | – | Yes |
Ambient Light | – | Yes |
AC | Auto | Auto |
Rear AC vents | – | Yes |
Ventilated Seats | – | Yes |
Instrument Cluster | Analog | Digital |
Infotainment System | 7-inch | 10.25-inch HD Display |
Android Auto, Apple CarPlay | Wired | Wireless |
Voice Commands | Yes | Yes |
Sound System | 6-speaker sound system | 8-speaker Bose Premium sound system |
Wireless Charging | – | Yes |
Cooled Glovebox | – | Yes |
Auto-dimming IRVM | – | Yes |
Height adjustable Driver Seat | Yes | Yes |
When it comes to features, the Thar misses out on auto-dimming IRVM, cooled glovebox, ventilated seats, rear AC vents, ambient lighting, wireless charging, leather-wrapped steering wheel, digital instrument cluster, bigger infotainment system, and sunroof. However, it’s worth noting that the Thar is off-road focused, and therefore, it misses these features.
Safety Features | Mahindra Thar | Hyundai Creta |
---|---|---|
Airbags | Two airbags | Six airbags |
ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes |
Camera | Reverse-parking camera | Reverse-parking camera |
Parking Sensors | Rear | Rear |
TPMS | Yes | Yes |
Auto Headlamps | – | Yes |
ESP | Yes | Yes |
Cruise Control | Yes | Yes |
Traction Control | Yes | Yes |
Hill Assist | Yes | Yes |
Hill Descent Control | Yes | – |
All 4 Disc Brakes | Front Disc | Yes |
ISOFIX anchorages | Yes | Yes |
In Safety, the Thar misses out on Six airbags, Automatic headlamps, and All four wheels with disc brakes, and the Creta misses out on Hill descent Control. This still makes the Creta better than the Thar given that the Thar is not a lifestyle focused SUV.
Mahindra Thar vs Hyundai Creta – Price and Warranty
Model | Price (ex-showroom) |
---|---|
Mahindra Thar | Rs. 10.54 lakh – Rs. 16.78 lakh |
Hyundai Creta | Rs. 10.87 lakh – Rs. 19.20 lakh |
The Mahindra Thar is priced at Rs. 10.54 lakh for the entry-level ‘AX (O) Hard Top RWD’ variant and goes up to Rs. 16.78 lakh for the top variant, ‘LX Hard Top Automatic.’ The Hyundai Creta currently is priced at Rs. 10.87 lakh for the base petrol ‘E’ variant and goes up to Rs. 19.20 lakh for the top ‘SX (O) Knight Edition DT Diesel Automatic’ variant.
As for the warranty, the Mahindra Thar has a 2 years/1,00,000 km warranty period that can be extended up to 5 years/1,20,000 km and Hyundai is offering 3 years/1,00,000 km warranty period for the Creta and can be extended up to 7 years/1,00,000 km.
Mahindra Thar vs Hyundai Creta – Verdict
In the end, the decision to buy which SUV depends totally on you, however, if you want an SUV that can do off-roading, and for your off-road adventures, the Mahindra Thar is a better choice given the design from the outside, it just says to take it for off-roading, and is smaller than the Creta and so the comfort is good but the space for storage is a very less. The Creta is not an off-road capable SUV and is more like a lifestyle SUV that offers great mileage, space, features, and comfort. Therefore, if you have an off-road SUV requirement then you should opt for the Thar otherwise the Creta is a great SUV!
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