Mahindra Thar Roxx first drive review

The main highlights of the new Mahindra Thar Roxx are increased size, high-end features, enhanced practicality and convenience

Growing up, I always heard my father tell about his time driving a Mahindra Jeep with a Peugeot engine. So, I have a bit of nostalgia for the Mahindra Thar, which embodies the company’s rich heritage of making jeeps since 1947. Fast forward to August 2024, Mahindra has launched the Thar Roxx, a 5-door version of the Thar that takes the Jeep DNA a bit more mainstream.

As part of Mahindra’s media drive event in Kochi, Kerala, we drove the Thar Roxx and got a feel for its evolving temperament. We drove it through traffic in the city, on the narrow and winding Kerala highways, and even encountered some off-road situations. After a brief first drive, here are our honest thoughts on the Mahindra Thar Roxx SUV, which is priced from Rs 12.99 lakh (ex-showroom).

Mahindra Thar Roxx First Drive Review – Price!

The much-awaited car launch is over and India’s most anticipated car launch of 2024 has just taken place. We have to address the pricing issue as it is one of the most critical aspects of the Thar Roxx. Pricing is where most of our reservations about the Mahindra Thar Roxx lie. The smile on our faces visibly faded when we glanced over the variant pricing of the Thar Roxx. That’s because we were expecting aggressive pricing in typical ‘Mahindra style’.

The ‘Maza aa gaya’ quotient mentioned in Mahindra’s pricing is not present in the Thar Roxx. This quotient is present in the Scorpio N and even the recently launched XUV3XO. The Mahindra Thar Roxx starts at Rs 12.99 lakh (ex-showroom). In comparison, the Scorpio N, which is bigger and comes with a 200 hp petrol engine, starts at Rs 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom, introductory price). Inflation is a factor and the Rs 12.99 ex-showroom price may not be an issue for many as the base MX1 trim is not too badly equipped.

However, the price difference between the manual and automatic transmission variants of the Thar Roxx and the petrol and diesel variants is too high in certain trim levels. The high price difference between petrol and diesel is justified when switching from NA petrol to turbo diesel. However, Mahindra charges between Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 to switch from 2.0L turbo petrol to 2.2L turbo diesel (MX3 P AT to MX3 D AT). There was a time when Mahindra charged less than Rs 30,000 for switching from 2.0L petrol to 2.2L diesel in the 3-Door Thar. The cost difference between automatic and manual is also higher at Rs 15,000 (Ex-sh).

The company is yet to announce the prices of the 4WD variants. Mahindra has only announced the prices of the RWD variants, which go for a whopping Rs 20.49 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-of-the-line AX7L D22 AT RWD model. Although the Thar Roxx is a lifestyle off-roader, the base model does not offer 4X4. Only the top three trim levels, MX5, AX5L and AX7L, get a 4X4 transfer case. Enthusiasts and purists like us would like to see the MX1 D22 MT 4WD.

The other side of the pricing story

The pricing of the Mahindra Thar Roxx is relative. Confused? Let us simplify it. Compact SUV prices have been skyrocketing in recent times. Many of these high-riding front-wheel drive crossovers are already over Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom) for their top-spec variants. For the same price, Mahindra has launched a rear-wheel drive ladder-frame rugged SUV that also matches or outdoes these C-segment compact ‘crossovers’ in terms of features and equipment. This is a statement I never thought I would make in my life.

The Thar Roxx is packed with features that easily rival any compact SUV available in India. On the exterior, the Mahindra Thar Roxx comes with LED projector headlamps, LED daytime running lamps, fog lamps, large ORVMs, side steps, larger 19-inch alloy wheels with massive 255-section off-road tyres, chunky cladding, wide 90-degree opening rear doors, a full-size spare alloy wheel mounted on the tailgate, a two-stage tailgate, a really large panoramic sunroof and more.

Major updates in the feature list

Coming to the interior, the Thar Roxx is luxuriously appointed. Even though this is a lifestyle off-road SUV, Mahindra has worked very hard to give buyers a premium experience. The upper half of the dashboard is soft to the touch, as are the upper portions of all the door trims, as well as the elbow guards on all the doors and the sliding front centre armrest. The padding under the leather wrapping of the steering wheel is also very soft and gives it a luxurious feel. This could very well be one of the most premium vehicles under 4.5 metres in length.

All interior lights are LED, and there are large vanity mirrors with LED vanity lights. Mahindra offers a powered driver’s seat, and both front seats have ventilation. The automatic climate control is single-zone and works very well. There is a new 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 10.2-inch TFT instrument cluster. These screens have a crisp resolution and offer a good viewing experience even in sunlight and with sunglasses.

Notable features include wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, full-screen navigation on the instrument panel, wireless charging pad, Type-C charging port, rear center armrest, rear air-conditioning vents, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, interior-operated fuel cap, push-button start, steering wheel controls, cruise control, electronic parking brake with auto hold, Adrenox connectivity package, and a roaring 9-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.

For the first time, the Thar Roxx has real boot space. There’s 447 litres of boot space up to the rear seatbacks, or 644 litres if you fill the boot with the metal roof. The white interior, large expanses of glass and a huge panoramic sunroof make the cabin feel airy and spacious. It’s also very roomy. There’s plenty of width, and two adults like us sitting in the front didn’t bump our elbows once. Rear space isn’t an afterthought, either.

Mahindra has also stepped up safety with the new car. The Thar Roxx comes with 6 airbags, LED headlights, and over 35 safety features as standard across the range. There is also camera-based Level 2 ADAS (similar to the setup in the XUV3XO) and 360-degree camera along with blind-spot monitoring.

Power and performance

The seating position of the Mahindra Thar Roxx is high like a throne, which provides excellent all-round visibility. It has an approach angle of 41.7 degrees, a departure angle of 36.1 degrees, a breakover angle of 23.9 degrees and a wading height of 650 mm. Interestingly, Mahindra has not revealed the ground clearance of the Thar Roxx. The side steps and handrails on the pillars help in getting in and out of the vehicle.

The Thar exudes a huge road presence, which is what attracts the target demographic. The driving experience of the Thar Roxx is exactly what the Thar is supposed to be. The large 19-inch wheels and tall tyres can absorb a lot of road anomalies. The suspension is set up on the soft side, which is expected for a vehicle of this type. Mahindra has given the Thar Roxx a sophisticated suspension setup. Features like frequency-dependent damping and hydraulic rebound stop are quite noticeable.

The Mahindra Thar Roxx stands tall and proud on Indian roads, with a commanding presence and few flaws. The car is based on the all-new Glyde platform, which is 18% lighter, has a 50:50 mass distribution and offers better structural rigidity than the Thar 3-Door. While driving it in Kochi, we felt that the new platform and suspension setup worked really well, giving it an indestructible feel.

At the media drive event, Mahindra offered us the top-spec AX7L D22 MT 4WD model. Mahindra mentioned that the Thar Roxx has redesigned the overall NVH levels and this is reflected. The in-car experience is like a unibody SUV rather than an old-school ladder-frame SUV. The G20 2.0L turbocharged petrol engine produces up to 175 hp and 380 Nm of torque. The D22 turbocharged diesel engine produces up to 172 hp and 370 Nm of torque. Both engines are available with 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic options.

The car we were given had a very rubbery and grooved manual gearshift. The gearshifts just didn’t feel right at all speeds. The 4X4 selector was very hard to operate and we had to yank it to get it into position. The clutch, while lightweight, had a long throw. I’ve driven over 400,000 kms in manual cars but I felt the bite and actuation of this clutch pedal was unpredictable. The addition of rear disc brakes has increased stopping power compared to the 3-door Thar. We couldn’t test the off-road capabilities of the Thar Roxx as we had very little time in Kochi. But we did give it a hard go on bad roads and broken trails and the Thar Roxx conquered it all like an unstoppable force. Really impressive!

Errors

1. The Thar Roxx lacks telescopic steering adjustment.
2. There is no request sensor on the outside, forcing the user to use the key to lock/unlock, making the push-button start function seem rudimentary.
3. The door pockets can only accommodate very small 500ml water bottles.
4. It is a little inconvenient to access these door pockets when the doors are closed.
5. All four one-touch window raising/lowering functions are possible.
6. The rear seats cannot be laid flat, making them less practical.
7. A black-brown interior option should be provided for those who actually drive the Thar off-road.
8. The 4X4 diesel MT variant is positioned at the base MX1 trim level.
9. The front seats, while comfortable, lack under-thigh support.

in conclusion

It’s easy to come to a conclusion about the Mahindra Thar Roxx. We liked this car more than we thought we would. Mahindra has made significant strides in improving the cabin ambience, making it more premium, and we really like that. The suspension and chassis are tuned to ride perfectly on Indian roads. The powertrain is quite potent, and we hope the shortcomings regarding the manual gearbox and 4X4 selector are limited to our media review unit.

We would have liked it more if Mahindra had come up with a more competitive price. But if we compare it with similarly priced “high-riding crossover C-segment vehicles”, the Mahindra Thar Roxx is the only old-school conventional SUV. Despite its high price, it seems more worthwhile to buy a conventional SUV than a vehicle marketed as an SUV. If you are looking for a proper 4×4 off-road vehicle, we did not find any good deals on the Thar Roxx. The Thar Roxx is derived from a basic SUV and its comprehensive features far exceed the imagination of its predecessors. If it can win over a picky person like me, it can win over most people.