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Mahindra Thar 5-Door – All You Need to Know
Read the most important details about Mahindra Thar 5-door SUV, the upcoming off-roading stunner.
Image source: Autocar
The new second-generation Mahindra Thar has been one sensational success story for the Indian homegrown SUV major. With its butch design, capable performance and off-road driving prowess, the Mahindra Thar has created a special niche space for itself in the market.
However, the current three-door body style of the Mahindra Thar restricts its sales numbers and is quite avoided by family-oriented buyers. Mahindra knows this fact too, and which is why it has confirmed the five-door version of the SUV in a recent report.
Following are the key points which one should know about the upcoming Mahindra Thar 5-door:
Will be longer than the 3-door Thar
This one is pretty obvious to get – the upcoming Mahindra Thar 5-door will definitely be longer than the current 3-door version of it. The reason is simple – to incorporate the additional rear doors. The new version of the Thar will see an increase in its length, from the current 3,985mm, thus putting it bang in the segment of premium compact SUVs which are over four meter long. This will also lead to a substantial increase in its wheelbase, which currently stands at 2,450mm for the 3-door version.
Will have more usable space in the second row
The currently available Mahindra Thar 3-door has a seating capacity of four passengers since the erstwhile available 6-seater version was soon pulled off from the market owing to the poor safety quotient. The second row of seats in it is quite claustrophobic in nature, especially for taller people, due to limited knee room and legroom.
Also, due to only the two-door layout, the ingress and egress to the second row by lifting forward the front seats too isn’t an easy task. The Mahindra Thar 5-door will eliminate these issues with enhanced space in the second row with an increase in wheelbase and additional two doors for better ingress and egress.
Will retain the current engine options of 3-door Thar
The currently available Mahindra Thar 3-door is already powerful for its size, with both the engine options it has on offer. The five-door version, therefore, is expected to retain the set of currently available powertrains in the 3-door version.
That means the Mahindra Thar 5-door will be available with two engine options – a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (150 PS/300 Nm with a manual gearbox and 150 PS/320 Nm with automatic gearbox) and a 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine (130 PS/300 Nm). Both the engine options are also supposed to retain the transmission options of 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic.
However, considering the bump in weight it will receive, the engines might be re-tuned and witness a bump in power and torque.
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Will have a more usable boot space
Thanks to constraints in its space management with limited dimensions, the currently available Mahindra Thar 3-door has a very limited boot space. However, with the enhanced length on offer, the Mahindra Thar 5-door will definitely have a more usable boot space on disposal.
However, the method of access to the boot compartment in it is supposed to be the same as how it is in the 3-door version – with the side opening of the part hatch at the rear which carries the spare wheel as well.
Will retain the dashboard layout the 3-door version
With the second generation version, the Mahindra Thar has seen a big revamp in terms of the premium feel it delivers on the inside. The overall cabin, finished in a theme of black, now feels much more modern and new generation, thanks to the inclusion of feel-good bits like touchscreen infotainment system and multi-functional steering wheel. Even the fit and finish levels have been drastically improved as compared to the previous generation model. The upcoming Mahindra Thar 5-door is expected to share the same dashboard layout, possibly with the addition of a couple of new features.
Will have slight changes to its exterior design
The new Mahindra Thar 5-door will be strictly a hard-top version, with the portion of the body post the B-pillar be in sync with the rest of the body of the SUV. The currently available Mahindra Thar 3-door is also offered in soft top and convertible options, apart from the standard fixed roof. Also, there might be a couple of slight changes to its exterior design, especially in the side and rear profiles.
Might have alterations to its off-road driving performance
The supposed increase in the length and wheelbase of the Mahindra Thar 5-door over the current 3-door version will bring in a few changes to its off-road driving specifications.
Due to the increase in length, the 5-door version will see an expected decrease in its breakover angle. And if the current breakover angle is supposed to be retained, the current ground clearance might witness an increase. Also, to keep both straightline and cornering stabilities in check, there might be a change in the track width of the 5-door version, though the chances of it are very slight.
Will carry a premium of almost 1 lakh over the 3-door version
The currently available Mahindra Thar 3-door is priced between Rs. 12.12 lakh for the entry-level AX convertible petrol manual and Rs. 14.17 lakh for the range-topping LX hard-top diesel automatic (both prices Ex-showroom, Delhi).
Considering that the Mahindra Thar 5-door will miss out on convertible and soft-top versions, the range will start at a much higher price point, and for subsequent hard-top versions, will carry a premium of almost Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh in the on-road prices.
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Will not see a launch before 2023
According to a recent internal report leaked, which showed a glimpse of upcoming products from Mahindra, it is clear that the Mahindra Thar 5-door will be launching sometime in between 2023 to 2026.
However, given the fact that the base is already there in the form of Mahindra Thar 3-door, the Indian SUV giant will not take a very long time in bringing its 5-door version. But for now, it is safe to say that the Mahindra Thar 5-door will not be coming any time before 2023.
Will compete with other premium compact SUVs
Given the current pricing of the Mahindra Thar 3-door and the expected price bump it the 5-door version will receive over it, it is safe to say that the Mahindra Thar 5-door will rival the likes of premium compact SUVs like Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster and soon to be launched Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq.
While the Mahindra Thar 5-door will miss out on many new generation comfort and convenience features as seen in its rivals, it will clearly trump all of them with its standard four-wheel drivetrain.
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