The much-awaited 5-door Mahindra Thar was again caught testing and this time the spy images confirm that this lifestyle SUV will also be available in rear-wheel-drive. We explain what’s new in the 5-door Thar.
5-door Mahindra Thar: Exteriors
It is now an open secret that the 5-door Thar will be based on the ladder frame chassis of the Scorpio N. Hence, it will be over 4 metres in length. Based on the spy images, the front fascia gets square shaped grille instead of the vertical slats in the 3-door Thar. There are minor tweaks in the design instead of housing round-shaped fog lamps, the new Thar has rectangle ones. As the 5-door Thar is a long-wheel-based SUV, the body panel is expected to be different. It retains the typical rugged squarish wheel arches with a boxy body profile and has the spare wheel mounted on the tailgate.
5-door Mahindra Thar: Interiors
The new spy images of the 5-door Thar revealed limited details like the off-roader will be equipped with an updated infotainment touchscreen unit and the higher variants are expected to come with a front armrest. The cabin photos also answered many potential buyers’ questions that the upcoming 5-door Thar will be available in both rear-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive as the test mute didn’t have the 4×4 gear lever. As the test vehicle didn’t have rear seats, we can’t confirm what will be the layout.
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5-door Mahindra Thar: Engines
The 3-door Thar is available in three engines including two diesel engines and a petrol — the 2.2-litre with 130bhp and the 117bhp 1.5-litre and the 2-litre petrol with 150bhp of output. All three engines have 300Nm of torque. As the 5-door Thar is going to be over 4 metres in length and will not enjoy the tax rebates, therefore, Mahindra may give the 1.5-litre diesel motor a miss. The 5-door Thar will offer both automatic and manual transmissions.
5-door Mahindra Thar: Competition
The 5-door Thar’s direct rival is the Force Gurkha as it is also over 4 metres in length. One should also keep in mind that Force Motors is working on a 5-door Grukha, which is expected to make its debut soon. Then there is also the Maruti Suzuki Jimny, which may be launched in May. The Jimny is expected to be priced more in the lines of the 3-door Thar as both are sub-4 meters in length.
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