Slated to make its public debut on August 15 this year, the Mahindra Thar 5-door has been seen testing a gazillion times by now. The new model, which seems to be very near to entering mass production, will help the local auto giant establish an even firmer foothold in the Rs 15-25 lakh SUV market. For now, the carmaker is busy testing the vehicle in varied terrains, ranging from well-paved expressways to hills.
Mahindra Thar 5-door to Share Underpinnings with Scorpio N
Recently, a Youtuber who drives a lifted Thar had a chance encounter with the upcoming SUV. Interestingly, the bigger vehicle, which could bring back the ‘Armada’ moniker, holds its own when it comes to the road presence. In spite of the lift kit and the purple wrap on the modified Thar, the 5-door version looks quite big when seen together. A lot of this can be attributed to Scorpio N-sourced underpinnings. Dimensionally, we expect the new SUV to be closer to the donor model than to its 3-door sibling. The same can be observed in the video we have with us here.
But all said and done, don’t expect any surprises in the aesthetic department. Like the existing version, the bigger sibling will have a Wrangler-like look. In fact, the extra set of doors, along with the longer wheelbase, will likely take this SUV even closer to the aforementioned American off-roader. The front-end will feature round headlamps with LED fixtures. The grille, though, could see some variation when compared to the current Thar. But everything else, including the upright front windshield, bonnet clamps, ORVMs, et al, will be exactly like what you get on the 3-door variant. That said, the bigger wheelbase will translate into a more spacious cabin and a larger boot.
Like the platform, even the engines will come from Scorpio N. This means the Mahindra Thar 5-door will offer a 2.0-litre mStallion turbo-petrol and a 2.2-litre mHawk turbo-diesel motor. Additionally, the SUV could even offer the 1.5-litre diesel from the Thar 2WD on its entry-level variants. Transmissions on offer will include both manual and automatic units. 4×4 hardware will expectedly be available only on select variants. Presently, the regular Thar is priced from Rs 11.35 lakh to Rs 17.60 lakh (ex-showroom). Meanwhile, the Scorpio N costs Rs.13.85 – 24.54 Lakh (ex-showroom). The 5-door Thar Armada should find itself slotted between the two.
Our View
With the Mahindra Thar (3-door), Scorpio N and XUV700 enjoying great demand, Mahindra Auto has scaled new heights in the SUV market. However, it’s certainly not the one to rest on its laurels as it prepares to introduce the Mahindra Thar 5-door in the coming months. The new SUV should appeal to those looking for the butchness of the Thar along with the practicality of the Scorpio N. The longer wheelbase will definitely address a big limitation of the current version – compromised rear space and a small boot compartment.
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