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.
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.
| 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.
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.