Mahindra Thar OG Review: The Most Complete Thar Yet

The second-generation Thar has been a lifestyle-SUV phenomenon since 2020, and combined with the 4-door Roxx, Mahindra now moves more than 10,000 units of the pair every month. The Thar OG is the most thorough update the 2-door has received yet - a new platform, meaningfully more power, and a real safety overhaul - but it’s also a car that asks buyers to think hard about what they’re actually giving up for the off-road credibility. Prices run from ₹0.32 lakh to ₹8.99 lakh ex-showroom, and at the top end, that’s squarely in territory where full-size, 4-door family SUVs are also on the table.

Fresh Face, Wider Stance

The Thar OG now sits on a shortened version of the M_Glyde 4G platform borrowed from the Roxx, and it shows in the numbers: 3,995mm long, 1,870mm wide, 1,855mm tall, with the wheelbase staying at 2,450mm but the track widening to 1,580mm front and rear. Ground clearance climbs marginally to 232mm. Up front, projector LED headlights with C-shaped DRLs and ice-cube LED fog lamps are lifted from the Roxx, sitting less deeply recessed into a wider, less-tall radiator grille than before. The rear gets Roxx-sourced tail-lamps with C-shaped LED position lights, though the stop and reversing lamps stick with halogen bulbs. ZXT variants ride on new 19-inch diamond-cut alloys wrapped in 255/60 all-terrain tyres, while lower variants get 18-inch wheels with a slightly taller 255/65 tyre profile. Eight colours are on offer, including two new additions - Artemis Silver and Jeans Blue.

More Punch From the Petrol and Bigger Diesel

Three engines carry over - a 1.5-litre diesel, a 2.2-litre diesel, and a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol - paired with 6-speed manual or automatic gearboxes, across rear-wheel-drive and 4x4 configurations. The 1.5-litre diesel is unchanged, but the 2.2-litre diesel now makes 150 BHP and 330 Nm, up from 130 BHP and 300 Nm, and the petrol climbs to 160 BHP and 330 Nm from 150 BHP and 300-320 Nm depending on gearbox. In the 2.2-litre diesel automatic, that extra output translates into a genuinely refined, driveable experience: press the new engine start button, and the mHawk fires with only a mild shake through the body before settling into a quiet, well-controlled idle. Throttle response is strong right from a standstill, the car crawls at just 8 km/h without any input, and the combination of the automatic, the new electric power steering, and the Thar’s compact length makes it easy to thread through city traffic.

Out on the open road, that extra 20 BHP and 10 Nm translate into real, usable pull, with enough mid-range punch to make overtakes and highway merges straightforward. The diesel isn’t a high-revving unit even by diesel standards - flooring it sees the automatic shift up at around 4,200 rpm - and the car settles into an easy 100 km/h cruise at roughly 1,700 rpm, or 120 km/h at around 2,000 rpm. The 6-speed automatic itself deserves credit: gear shifts are smooth, it holds gears sensibly rather than hunting for fuel economy, and it downshifts readily under braking for good engine braking and control. It does occasionally get confused under varied, aggressive throttle inputs, though manual mode is there if you want it - mostly useful off-road rather than on tarmac, where the automatic’s own logic is already sound.

Refinement has genuinely improved too. At idle or while driving, it’s hard to tell there’s a diesel under the bonnet, and the engine never sounds strained even near 4,000 rpm - you won’t need to raise your voice to talk to a passenger even at higher speeds. The one letdown is wind noise, which creeps in earlier than expected, from around 85 km/h, along with noticeable tyre roar from the all-terrain rubber on concrete surfaces; over a long highway stretch, both start to grate. Mahindra hasn’t released official fuel efficiency figures yet, but expect high single-digit mileage in the city and mid-double-digit figures on the highway, broadly in line with the outgoing car.

Ride, Handling, and Off-Road Capability

The new platform brings genuine ride improvements. Up front there’s an independent double-wishbone setup with coil-over dampers, while the rear gets a Pentalink solid axle with a Watt’s link, plus DaVinci frequency-dependent damping. The result is noticeably better body control - far less pitching and bouncing over broken roads than before - even if the Thar OG still can’t match a hatchback or crossover for outright comfort; you’ll still feel a fair amount of the road through the cabin. The larger 19-inch wheels and lower-profile tyres on the ZXT do claw back some of that improvement, so buyers prioritising ride comfort over outright grip might actually prefer the softer-riding lower variants on 18-inch wheels.

City driving is genuinely easy and effortless, and highway stability has improved meaningfully too - this is a car that now feels composed rather than nervous at speed. That said, it’s still not one to push hard: the sweet spot for confident cruising sits between 80-100 km/h, and while 120 km/h is achievable, the running gear doesn’t quite keep pace with what the engine can deliver at that point, a reminder that this remains an off-roader first. On winding roads, the wider track and updated suspension pay real dividends - body roll is much better controlled than on the outgoing car, and an ESP 9.3 suite adds a layer of electronic reassurance. The electric power steering is light and easy at parking speeds, weighting up sensibly as you pick up pace, though it stays a touch vague at higher speeds - acceptable given the Thar OG’s height and off-road brief. Braking gets a genuine upgrade too, with 317mm front and 330mm rear discs on the ZXT (lower variants keep rear drums), delivering better, less spongy stopping performance than before, even if some nose-dive under hard braking is unavoidable on a body-on-frame vehicle like this.

Off the road is where the Thar has always earned its reputation, and the OG pushes that further. Three transfer modes - 2H, 4H, and 4L - carry over, now joined by Normal, Snow, Mud, and Sand terrain modes, and a genuinely useful addition: an electronic locking differential at the rear, which sends equal power to both rear wheels on low-grip surfaces. Approach, departure, and ramp-over angles come in at 40, 36, and 26.4 degrees respectively, with a 650mm water wading depth. On a test course covering mud, dense forest tracks, steep inclines, and water crossings, the Thar OG cleared every obstacle without needing the locking differential or any terrain mode engaged - the sheer torque on tap was enough on its own, a genuine testament to how capable this platform is straight out of the box.

Cabin Updates, 2-Door Practicality, and Everyday Living

Inside, the changes are more evolution than revolution. The dashboard layout and touchscreen carry over largely unchanged, though the 3-spoke steering wheel is now leather-wrapped with a glossy black insert, and an engine start button has been added - though disappointingly, there’s still no keyless entry, so you’ll still be reaching for the key fob buttons to lock and unlock the car. The instrument cluster carries over too, now displaying live tyre pressure and temperature readings, along with locking-differential and terrain-mode status. Front seats keep their existing shape but get new Truffle Brown perforated leatherette upholstery, matched by a similarly trimmed door armrest insert, and a genuinely useful large dead pedal has been added alongside the existing pedals. Switch layout below the climate console has been reshuffled to accommodate the new terrain-mode and differential-lock controls. A wireless smartphone charging pad sits at the base of the centre fascia, and six airbags - two front plus four head, pelvis, thorax, and shoulder airbags across both rows - are now standard.

Rear seat practicality gets a few small but genuine improvements: a soft-touch armrest area, cupholders on both sides, a smartphone storage slot next to the USB-C port, and a relocated 12V outlet. But the fundamentals that have always limited the Thar’s everyday usability remain unchanged - it’s still a 2-door, 4-seat layout with genuinely difficult rear access, and boot space stays tight, not something you’d want to rely on for a family holiday’s worth of luggage. There’s also no climate control system, no 360-degree camera, no auto-dimming interior mirror, no auto headlamps or wipers, and no ADAS - a fairly sparse feature list to reconcile with a nearly ₹9 lakh on-road price at the top end.

Mahindra Thar OG: Variant-wise Prices (Ex-showroom)

Should You Buy the Thar OG?

The Thar OG is unmistakably the most complete version of this car Mahindra has built - the new platform genuinely improves ride and handling, the diesel automatic is refined and easy to live with, the safety kit is finally where it should be with 6 airbags standard, and off-road capability remains a genuine strength rather than a marketing claim. Where it still asks for compromise is everyday usability: the 2-door layout, tight boot, and a feature list that feels thin at this price bracket are real considerations, not nitpicks, especially once you’re looking at ZXT pricing that overlaps with bigger, more practical 4-door SUVs. If your weekends genuinely involve mud, sand, or mountain trails and you’re happy trading rear-seat access and boot space for that capability, the Thar OG is worth every rupee; if it’s mostly going to be a city runabout with the occasional highway trip, it’s worth cross-shopping the Roxx or a similarly-priced 4-door SUV before signing the cheque.