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Mahindra Thar Roxx First Drive Review: The 5-Door Thar Finally Makes A Debut
Whenever you think of an off-road expedition, there is a list of vehicles that come to mind. However, the Mahindra Thar will always be at the top of the list. The Thar has been a hardcore off-roader since the start.
However, it was never a family car, the reason being, the lack of rear doors. Some people found it hard to get in and out of the vehicle as the front seats had to be moved forward to get back in. So now that problem has been solved as Mahindra has launched its 5-door Thar, the ROXX for a starting price of Rs 12.99 Lakh ex-showroom for the Pertol RWD variant.
We went to Kochi to experience the new Thar Roxx and drive it, and here is what we have to say about the all-new SUV.
Design
The Thar Roxx retains its boxy shape, however, the company has made a lot of changes to the SUV. starting with the LED headlights with the C-shaped DRLs and LED fogs as well. The Grill is all new and comes in body colour paint and there is a front parking camera, which is a part of the 360-degree camera feature.
Talking about paint, the Roxx comes in 7 colour options and there are some new colours that just look awesome. The bumpers have been tweaked, but the hood lines and creases remain the same.
Moving on to the side, the SUV now gets new 19-inch dual-tone alloy wheels with a tyre profile of 255/60/R19. It also gets huge chunky fenders that give it that muscular off-roader look. It gets the same matte black finished ORVMs but with the camera on each side.
Moving on you will notice the main change, which is the addition of rear doors. However, the front door handles are finished in matte black, but the rear door handles are finished in body colour as they are placed on top near the C pillar. The C pillar has a distinctive sloping line that gives the Thar Roxx a good rear design.
Coming to the rear, the car gets LED taillights, and a full-size spare wheel and now it comes with a rearview wiper along with defoggers. Well if you open the tailgate, now the Thar gets a 644-litre boot space that can fit a full-size adult. Apart from that, it also gets a 60:40 split seat that can be folded flat to reveal move boot space.
Interiors
Moving on the inside, the First thing that will catch your attention is the large panoramic sunroof, which is the biggest in its segment. Also, the ivory white interiors make the cabin more airer.
There is soft touch material on the dashboard and doors along with contrast stitching. It also gets a new 10.25-inch infotainment system and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster on which you will get a ton of information about the SUV.
The steering wheel is now electric and feels extremely light which will make city maneuvers very easy and you can make U-turns with absolute ease. It is a flat bottom wheel and has steering-mounted controls on both sides. But it is only adjustable for Tilt and not telescopic.
The front driver's seat is now 6-way electrically adjustable and both front seats are now ventilated. Seat comfort is good and will not tire you out on long journeys.
The rear seat is also comfortable but lacks under-thigh support. You now get an armrest with 2 cup holders. It gets 3 headrests but only 2 are adjustable. However, now the rear has AC vents which will help the big cabin cool down faster.
Engine & Handling
The Thar Roxx gets both a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and a 2.2-litre diesel engine. The petrol-powered base-spec Mahindra Roxx MX1 pumps out 160hp and 330Nm of peak torque from its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. While the higher-spec petrol variants put out 177hp and 380Nm of torque.
On the other hand, the diesel base variants churn out 150hp and 330Nm of peak torque and the higher-spec models produce 175hp of power and 370Nm of peak torque.
We drove the top-spec diesel manual 4x4 variant and the acceleration is slightly linear at the start but once the turbo is spooled there is a sudden surge of power that will throw you back to your seat. It has a strong mid-range and good top-end power.
Braking duties are handled by discs on all sides which result in a good stopping power. The suspension is also one of the major updates on the Roxx. It used a double-wishbone suspension setup at the front and penta-link suspension at the rear, which resulted in better handling.
We ran the car over bumps and potholes and the suspension took it all like it was nothing for it. Once we hit a bump and almost got the SUV airborne, but still it landed and was so stable.
Safety Features
The Thar Roxx has a long list of safety features that include 6 airbags, seat belt reminders, passenger airbag ON/OFF for child safety, ISOFIX mounts, ESC, Hill Hold Control, Hill Descent Control, Traction control, TPMS and many more. It also gets level 2 ADAS functions.
Verdict
We think that now the Thar will be appreciated more by families because of the 2 extra doors. Also, Mahindra has done a fantastic job on the suspension, interiors and overall styling and the price at which the Thar Roxx starts is just awesome. So if someone is looking for an SUV that looks good, drivers well and has good features, they should check out the new Mahindra Thar Roxx.
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