Mahindra Thar Roxx Review
Mahindra Thar Roxx Pros
• Handsome styling, brute character & tough build. Has an air of desirability around it
• Far more user-friendly and upmarket than the 3-door Thar, due to its superior interiors, amenities & the 2 rear doors
• Superbly equipped. Loaded with almost every possible feature we could think of (9-speaker Harman Kardon system, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree cam, ventilated front seats…)!
• Very competent, refined and quick petrol / diesel engine range
• Butter-smooth 6-speed AT available with both engines
• Ride, handling and steering are much improved over the 3-door. Feels more Scorpio-N-like to drive than a Thar. Gets a light EPS (not heavy hydraulic steering like the 3-door Thar)
• 4x4 hardware, off-road capability & high GC. Get ready for slush, muck, deserts, jungles & the mountains!
• Practical cabin with seating for 5 and a fair amount of storage
• 447 litres of boot space is sufficient for holiday luggage
• Top-notch safety kit includes 6 airbags, Level 2 ADAS, ESP, hill descent control and more
• We feel the Thar Roxx is well-priced for the package on offer
Mahindra Thar Roxx Cons
• While the ride quality is significantly better than the 3-door Thar, it is not as plush as say, the XUV700 & other monocoque crossovers. The 19” wheels are a contributor too. Ride quality is liveable though and we’ll give it a 7/10 rating
• Some styling elements are either too polarising or too “busy”
• Light-coloured interiors with white seats (!!!) will get dirty easily. Keep the cleaning apparatus ready
• Ingress / egress to the rear is difficult, particularly for the elderly
• No 3rd row of seats, which the Scorpio-N & XUV700 offer
• Petrol AT is thirsty due to its hefty weight, 174 BHP & torque-converter AT
• Inexplicably, 4x4 option just on the diesel. Petrol is available with RWD only. Mahindra needs to correct this ASAP
• No option of a convertible soft-top (like Thar) or removeable hard-top (like Wrangler) for those who love open-top motoring
• Some missing features such as reach-adjustable steering, keyless entry, rear window shades…
• Niggles are a given with a fresh new Mahindra model. Just ask owners of the 3-door Thar
Jaggu and I got to spend some time with the Mahindra Thar Roxx during the media drive in Kochi. Here are our quick and brief observations:
• The Mahindra Thar has been the dominant off-roader in India for a very long time. Its competitors have found it very difficult to challenge it due to the strong overall package that it is. Whatever aspect it was found wanting, has been addressed by the Thar Roxx - the 5-door version of the Thar.
• The Thar Roxx is based on a modified version of the platform that underpins the Scorpio-N. Mahindra calls it the M_GLYDE platform. It has a mass of 179 kg, a bending frequency of 39.9 Hz and a torsional frequency of 34.3 Hz. Mahindra claims it is light and stiff. There have been changes made to the suspension and steering. The NVH levels have improved as well.
• The Thar Roxx has 5 doors, which means getting into the rear seat is much easier than before. It can now take on the Maruti Jimny and Force Gurkha 5-door on even terms. It gets a bench seat in the rear that can accommodate 3 passengers and a useable boot. Many features that were missing in the 3-door Thar have been included in the Roxx.
• The car is powered by the same petrol and diesel engines that are found in the Scorpio-N (albeit in different states of tune) with 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions and rear-wheel drive (petrol & diesel) and four-wheel drive (diesel only).
• Mahindra has equipped the Thar Roxx with 35+ safety features including 6 airbags, 3-point seat belts and seat-belt reminder for all seats along, ISOFIX child seat anchors, TPMS and tyre direction monitoring, ESP, brake locking differential, vehicle dynamics control, traction control, rollover mitigation and more. The car also comes with Level 2 ADAS with 10 features including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, smart pilot assist, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, traffic signal recognition, high beam assist, 360-degree view system with blind view monitor and adaptive cruise control.
• The Roxx will be available in MX1, MX3, AX3L, MX5, AX5L and AX7L variants.
• The RWD variants are priced between Rs. 12.99 - 20.49 lakhs (ex-showroom). Test drives are scheduled to start on September 14, 2024. Bookings will open on October 3, 2024, while deliveries will start on Dussera (October 12, 2024).
Exterior
• While the overall shape of the front end hasn't been changed, there are some noteworthy changes - a redesigned radiator grille, LED headlamps with DRLs, LED turn-indicators, reworked bumper and LED fog lamps.
• At the rear, there are new tail-lamps, a revised bumper and liftgate.
• The biggest change to the side is the addition of a door. The Roxx measures 4,428 mm in length, 1,870 mm in width, and 1,923 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,850 mm. This makes it 443 mm longer, 15 mm wider and 3 mm taller than the Thar 3-door, while its wheelbase is longer by 400 mm. Approach, departure and ramp over angles are rated at 41.7, 36.1 and 23.9 degrees, respectively.
• The Thar Roxx gets projector LED headlights with bright C-shaped LED DRLs around them. These add to the road presence of the car. Follow me home and lead me to car functions have been provided. Headlights are not set as deep into the radiator grille as the Thar 3-door.
• LED turn indicators are placed on the front fenders.
• Radiator grille gets vertical plastic slats with a honeycomb mesh grille behind. IMO, Mahindra just can't seem to get the grille design right. This design just looks odd on a butch off-roader like this. Notice the "Mahindra" lettering embossed at the top and the front camera just underneath it, nicely concealed in the grille. Yes, the Thar Roxx gets a 360-degree camera system.
• The front bumper has been reworked and the brushed silver portion protrudes into the black portions on the sides. There is no "THAR" lettering on top of the bumper just below the radiator grille like you get in the 3-door. Fog lamps are LED projectors.
• Sturdy skid plate provided at the front. The design is different from the Thar 3-door.
• "THAR ROXX" badge is pasted on the front right panel. There is no engine badge anywhere on the car.
• The ORVMs are electrically foldable. Cameras for the 360-degree camera system are located underneath the ORVMs.
• The top variant comes with 19" diamond cut alloy wheels shod with 255/60 section MRF Wanderer A/T tyres. Ventilated disc brakes have been provided at the front.
• Disc brakes have been provided at the rear as well.
• The glass area is healthy. Notice the white section above the rear door which breaks the flow of the roof. The C-pillar thickens as you go downwards from the roof. While I hated some of these design elements, Jaggu made peace with them.
• The rear door handle is located on the C-pillar.
• The roof is metal and painted black. A large panoramic sunroof has been provided. The roof is ribbed at the rear. The liftgate is clad with FRP and houses the stop lamp at the top.
• Triangular rear glasses come with camel and Thar Roxx markings.
• The tail lamps get C-shaped LED position lights and LED turn indicators. The stop lamps and reversing lamps get halogen bulbs.
• The reversing camera is neatly integrated into the spare wheel.
• A well-concealed rear wiper+washer setup has been provided.
• Rear bumper gets two parking sensors and reflectors.
• Apart from the Everest White colour seen on our test car, the Thar Roxx comes in 6 shades - Battleship Grey...
...Tango Red...
...Stealth Black...
...Burnt Sienna...
...Deep Forest...
...and Nebula Blue. All come with black roofs.