Mahindra & Mahindra has started testing the upcoming 5-door version of the Thar off-road SUV in the country. Recently, a heavily camouflaged test mule of the SUV was caught on camera. While its official launch timeline is yet to be revealed, the 5 door Mahindra Thar is reported to hit showrooms sometime next year. Here, it will be positioned against the upcoming 5-door Maruti Jimny and 5-door Force Gurkha. Both its rivals are currently in their testing phase.
For the 2023 Mahindra Thar 5 door, the automaker is reported to use the new Scorpio-N’s ladder-frame chassis that’s made of high-strength steel. A few changes could be made to the architecture due to its length. The off-road SUV will be longer than the 3-door Thar and shorter than the Scorpio-N. The model might also share the pentalink rear suspension with the new Scorpio-N.
The overall width and height of the Mahindra Thar 5 door are likely to remain unchanged. The wheelbase will be increased to accommodate additional row of seats. Its ramp-over angle might be lower than the 3-door Thar. The SUV can be had with either 6 or 7 seating configuration. Similar to its 3-door version, the 5 door Mahindra Thar might have the split tailgate design.
Most of its features will be sourced from the 3-door Thar. It could be packed with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with the smartphone connectivity and navigation, 8-way adjustable front seats, coloured multi-info display in the instrument cluster, steering mounted controls, multiple airbags, central locking, rear parking, hill start and descent assist, roll cage and more.
Powering the new 2023 Mahindra Thar 5 door will be a 2.0L turbo petrol and 2.2L turbo diesel engine, sourced from its 3-door version. The motors, however, could be tuned for generating extra power and torque. Both manual and automatic gearbox will be on offer.
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