The long-awaited Mahindra Thar 5-door lifestyle SUV is going through rigorous road testing on different terrains in the country. It was expected to be launched sometime in late 2023; however, Mahindra has confirmed that the 5-door Thar will go on sale in our market in 2024. The new model will receive several changes in terms of styling, interior and features along with new mechanics.
The new Mahindra Thar 5-door lifestyle SUV will ride on longer wheelbase to create more space inside the cabin. If reports are to be believed, the wheelbase will be increased by around 300mm and the longer length will give enough space to add extra set of doors for rear seat occupants. This will make it more practical compared to the 3-door model, and the extra door will allow easier ingress. Moreover, the SUV will offer bigger boot space.
The three-door model comes with two roof options – a convertible soft top & a fixed hard plastic. However, the recent sightings have confirmed that the new 5-door Mahindra Thar will come with a fixed metal roof top. Thanks to the fixed hard top, the LWB Thar will come with a factory-fitted single-pane electric sunroof. The SUV will also receive some design changes in the form of a revised front grille and headlamp unit.
The Thar 5-door is also likely to receive significant changes inside the cabin. It is likely to share some of the features with the Scorpio N. The SUV could get a larger 8-inch AdrenoX touchscreen infotainment unit with smartphone connectivity and connected car tech. The Mahindra Thar 5-door is also likely to get new seat upholstery, updated instrument console and new switchgears.
The 5-door model will mainly target the urban buyers and will offer more practicality and better ride quality. The SUV will have a revised rear suspension setup. The SUV could be offered with the same 2.2L diesel and 2.0L turbo petrol engine that powers the 3-door model. While the former is good for 172bhp and 370Nm, the turbo petrol engine produces 200bhp and 370-380Nm. Both manual and automatic gearbox options will be on offer. The off-road SUV will come with 4X2 and 4X4 drivetrain options.
