The Name’s Roxx, Thar Roxx
Greetings, everyone! I’m Thar Roxx, the newest addition to Mahindra’s popular SUV family. You might notice a familiar look but allow me to assure you there’s more to discover here beyond the somewhat similar front-end. I’m sure to catch the eye of those who appreciate big and bold SUVs. Meanwhile, my powerful engines, 4×4 hardware, and an impressively long list of goodies are enough to make your neighbors envious. Well, I can go on and on about what I bring to the table but why not join me for a test drive and experience me for yourself?
If Ya Smell What The Roxx is Cooking
Some carmakers might have come up with elongated versions of their popular SUVs for our market, and there’s really nothing wrong with that, But things work differently at my birthplace, where a more meticulous approach was adopted for my incarnation. When it came to my conceptualization, Mahindra clearly saw an opportunity to yet again outdo itself and designed me from scratch. But before some of you, purists, fear sacrilege, let me assure you that I carry the signature Thar DNA that makes me look at least as badass as my smaller sibling.
My appearance is unmistakably Thar, but the aesthetic changes I carry give me a distinctly different identity. Up front, there’s a new grille that looks nothing like the 7-slot unit on my smaller sibling. I guess this, alone, helps me break any visual connection with Jeep. But once you’re over the new grille, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the upmarket LED headlights that carry C-shaped DRLs. Still think I look too much like a regular Thar? Check out my side profile. If the 19-inch machine-cut footwear doesn’t catch your attention, the slanted C-pillar certainly will. I know you might take a while to get used to it but isn’t slight quirkiness the name of the game? And there’s more – the vertically-positioned rear door handles, LED taillights, and the matte black rear roof section make me a flagbearer of neo-retro coolness.
Also Read: Mahindra Thar Roxx AX7L vs AX5L – What’s Different?
Better-equipped than my ‘Big Daddy’
Aiding the ingress and egress are the doors that open at 90 degrees. There are pillar-mounted handles to help you climb up, though the rear door isn’t as wide as you would want it to be. Once inside, you’ll quickly realize that the dashboard comes from the 3-door Thar but, wait, check out the soft-touch plastics and the premium brushed metal appliques. Cool, no?
And doesn’t the light-beige upholstery make the cabin oh-so-premium? I know, you might have to take extra care to keep me stain-free but isn’t that a small trade-off for the luxury-spec upholstery? And once you and yours are comfortable on my well-bolstered seats, you’ll appreciate the new steering wheel from the XUV700. You even get ventilated front seats and electrical seat adjustments for the driver to quickly find a setting of his liking. What? Yeah, there’s no dead pedal but you’ll get one if you spec me with the auto ‘box. I’m sure you’re already quite pleased but let me show off the rear cabin. I don’t suffer from my 3-door sibling’s Achilles heel. There’s plenty of legroom, even if there’s a 6-footer on the front seats. You also get reclining backrests, adjustable headrests, foldable armrests, and rear aircon vents to keep things comfortable. Another area where I have a clear advantage over my smaller sibling is the boot-space. With 447-litres of luggage-carrying capacity, you can travel with enough change of clothes for an extended weekend trip.
And this isn’t all. Not like the 3-door Thar was sparsely equipped for an off-roader, but the gadgets I have will impress everyone in your family. Be it the bigger 10.25-inch infotainment screen, wireless charger or digital instrument console, the equipment I offer is a lot like what you get on the XUV700 and, in some ways, more than the Scorpio N. Oh lest I forget, there’s the Level 2 ADAS that acts as my safety shield. For your travel-mates, I have the dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, a biggest-in-segment panoramic sunroof, and a 9-speaker Harman Kardon that just rocks (pun well intended)!
The Velvet Hammer Approach
You might say I have the same engines as my smaller sibling but that’s only half true. I might, in fact, have the same engine and transmission choices, but I’m in a different league when it comes to the performance on tap. This is simply because the motors have been re-tuned to offer additional power and torque. The 2.0-litrre turbo-petrol version is available in three tunes -152PS/330Nm, 162PS/330Nm and 177PS/380Nm, while the diesel unit offers 152PS/330Nm and 175PS/370Nm. In comparison, the 3-door sibling offers 150PS/300 Nm on the petrol and 130PS/300 Nm on the diesel. The transmission options stay the same, which means you get a choice of 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic transmissions on both mills. Of course, being a Thar, I have to carry 4×4 hardware with the diesel mill.
But one thing that you might notice even before the great power is the high level of refinement. I am sure my diesel-burner offers the highest refinement among all cars from my family – yes, it’s that good! The 2.2-litre mHawk oil-burner provides a good torque spread and has enough punch right from the get-go. The more powerful version available on the higher trims enjoys an impressive pulling-power, in spite of me being slightly on the heavier side. The well-controlled NVH makes sure you don’t miss a beat from the excellent Harman Kardon audio, while the well-spaced gear ratios ensure enough punch right across the rev-band. Yes, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a fault with my oil-burner. That said, some of you might miss a dead pedal on the manual variant. But, hey, that’s really some nit-picking, no?
Shall Never Cease to Amaze
If you think Mahindra has got the ride-handling balance really right on the Scorpio N, wait till you take me for a spin. Sure, there’s some body-roll; courtesy of my ladder-frame construction, but the vertical movement is limited and better controlled than on my brothers. Even my steering is more precise – simply point and shoot, and it won’t disappoint! Sure, the ride gets a bit bumpy over sharp undulations at low speed, but it’s nothing you won’t expect from an SUV of my pedigree. Off the road, I can make short work of all sorts of challenges you can throw at me. For all practical reasons, I’m as capable as my 3-door brother, while my posher cabin keeps you calmer even on the toughest terrains. I can offer you better dynamics while retaining the strong off-roading prowess of my smaller version. All this while, I’ll even try to keep you as comfortable as my monocoque cousin. All in all, on the road or off it, in the city or on the highway, I aim to keep you and yours comfortable as I take on all sorts of terrains. Can you name any other car in my price bracket that makes such a claim?
Ready to Rock?
First things first – I resemble my 3-door brother to an extent but I certainly offer a lot more than merely two additional doors. And all that at a starting price of just Rs 12.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Even my fully-loaded 4×4-equipped version should not cost north of Rs 22 lakh (ex-showroom). A very few misses notwithstanding, I’m as good as world-class SUVs come, and I’m sure my feature-loaded cabin, powerful engines, well-sorted dynamics, and capable off-road hardware have you impressed by now. No, I don’t mean to demean any of my siblings – every other Mahindra SUV excels in its own right. But finally, I’m the Thar that will impress you, the missus, and even the kids! Yes, that decade-old phrase of “More Car Per Car” never suited anyone better. So, this is as honest as I can get about myself. I hope to find a home in your garage. Laters!
Also Read: Mahindra Thar Roxx MX1 vs MX3 – What’s The Difference?
