The 5-door Mahindra Thar is a highly anticipated vehicle for the Indian market. Test mules of the off-roading SUV have been spotted on the road several occasions since the past couple of years. The current 3-door Thar, despite all its off-roading capabilities, doesn’t qualify as a practical family car. Mahindra intends to address this with the upcoming 5-door version.
Mahindra Thar Armada trademark filed
The homegrown automaker has filed multiple trademark applications with the prefix ‘Thar’ which supposedly will be used for the upcoming 5-door Thar. The most prominent of those is ‘Thar Armada’. Whispers going around since the past few months indicate that Mahindra could rename the 5-door Thar as ‘Armada’.
For the uninitiated, Mahindra offered a 4×4 SUV in the 1990s with a 5-door layout named Armada. It is very likely that the company may resurrect this iconic nameplate, thus creating a wave of nostalgia among off-roading enthusiasts. Based on the Jeep, the Armada was produced in India by Mahindra from 1993 to 2001.
Besides ‘Thar Armada’, Mahindra has filed six other trademark applications namely– Thar Cult, Thar Rex, Thar Savannah, Thar Roxx, Thar Gladius, and Thar Centurion. These trademarks have created a lot of speculation about the upcoming Thar. Maybe the additional trademarks could be used as names for the variants.
As far as design goes, the new 5-door Thar will carry forward the same design philosophy as its 3-door sibling featuring a boxy profile with a flat roofline, a multi-slat front grille, round headlamps, chunky front and rear bumpers, tall pillars, vertical taillamps, and a tailgate-mounted spare wheel.
5-door Mahindra Thar: Expected powertrain, features
Engine options are likely to remain unchanged. The 5-door Thar will receive two engine options– a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel unit and a 2.0-litre mStallion turbocharged petrol unit. Power and torque outputs may differ from the 3-door Thar since the upcoming 5-door Thar will be significantly larger in size. Transmission options will include 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic gearboxes.
A part-time 4×4 drivetrain with a low-range transfer case will be offered as standard. Brake locking differentials will enhance the SUV’s offroading capabilities. In terms of features, it is expected to come equipped with the exact same equipment as its 3-door relative including a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, manual AC, steering mounted controls, etc.