Estimated Read Time: 10-15 minutes | Image Source: https://auto.mahindra.com/suv/thar/THRN.html Official Website
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Engines | 1.5L D117 CRDe diesel, 2.2L D22 mHawk diesel, 2.0L G20 TGDi mStallion petrol |
| Power | 87.2 kW (D117) / 111.9 kW (mHawk) / 119 kW (mStallion) |
| Torque | 300 Nm (D117) / 330 Nm (mHawk & mStallion) |
| Fuel Type | Diesel / Petrol |
| ARAI Mileage | Not officially declared yet (see mileage section) |
| Transmission | 6-speed MT / 6-speed Torque Converter AT |
| Dimensions | 3995 x 1870 x 1855 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 232 mm |
| Price Range | ₹10.32 lakh – ₹18.99 lakh (ex-showroom) |
| Safety Rating | Not yet independently crash-tested (details below) |
You've been eyeing that three-door Thar parked outside your society for years, but the old one always felt like a weekend toy that punished you the other five days. Mahindra knows this. So on 22 September 2026, it rolled out the Thar OG not a replacement so much as a version of the Thar that's supposed to work on a Monday morning commute and a Sunday river crossing. Deliveries begin 11 October 2026, and the big question every prospective buyer is Googling right now is simple: has Mahindra actually fixed what needed fixing, or just repainted the same off-roader? This review digs into the mechanicals, the cabin, the safety kit and the pricing to help you decide whether the Thar OG deserves a spot on your shortlist or your down payment.
Performance & Driving Experience: How Does the Thar OG Feel on Indian Roads?
The single biggest change under the skin is the new M_Glyde 4G platform, which Mahindra says is stiffer than before. On paper that sounds like marketing language, but in practice a stiffer body shell usually means less shake and rattle over Indian roads that are rarely flat for more than a few hundred metres.
The bigger talking point is the new rear suspension. The Thar OG swaps in a PENTALINK setup with a Watts Link at the back, paired with what Mahindra calls DAVINCI damping essentially frequency-dependent dampers that are meant to stay soft over small potholes and firm up when you're pushing through a rutted trail. Older Thar owners will recognise this as the single biggest complaint being addressed: the outgoing car's live axle could feel busy and unsettled on broken city roads.
Electric Power Steering also replaces the old hydraulic setup, which should make low-speed manoeuvring think narrow society gates and multi-level parking noticeably lighter, without robbing the Thar of the heft you want while wheeling off-road.
The real story here isn't outright power it's that Mahindra has spent its engineering budget on ride quality and everyday liveability rather than chasing a bigger horsepower number.
Enthusiasts who loved the old Thar's raw, unfiltered character might find the new one slightly more composed and less rough around the edges. If your commute involves as much tarmac as trail, that trade-off should work in your favour.
Mahindra Thar OG Engine Specs: What Powers This Car?
There are three engine options, and Mahindra has quietly bumped up power and torque across the board a detail buyers of the outgoing Thar will notice immediately.
The D117 CRDe is the 1.5-litre diesel that only comes with rear-wheel drive and a manual gearbox, and it's the engine that unlocks the Thar OG's lowest starting price. It makes 87.2 kW and 300 Nm unchanged from before, and clearly positioned as the value entry point rather than the enthusiast's pick.
The 2.2-litre mHawk diesel is the one most off-road buyers will actually want, now good for 111.9 kW and 330 Nm a genuine step up from the pre-facelift car, and enough torque low in the rev range to matter more on a muddy incline than any headline horsepower figure.
The 2.0-litre mStallion turbo-petrol also gets a bump to 119 kW and 330 Nm, and remains the pick for buyers who do more city driving and want quicker throttle response without the diesel clatter.
All three are available with a 6-speed manual, and the mHawk and mStallion additionally offer a 6-speed torque-converter automatic a sensible choice for a car that will spend plenty of time crawling through Indian traffic. On maintenance, Mahindra's diesel line-up has historically had reasonable service costs by SUV standards, though exact service package pricing for the OG will only be confirmed once dealers start onboarding customers.
Mahindra Thar OG Mileage: What to Expect (ARAI Figures Awaited)
Here's the honest bit most reviews gloss over: Mahindra hasn't published official ARAI-certified mileage figures for the Thar OG at the time of writing. Given that all three engines now make more power and torque than their outgoing counterparts, expect the certified numbers to land close to but not necessarily identical to the previous Thar's ARAI ratings.
As a rough, real-world expectation based on how the older mHawk and mStallion units behaved: diesel automatics in this class typically return somewhere in the 11-14 kmpl range in city traffic and 14-17 kmpl on the highway, while the turbo-petrol tends to sit a couple of kmpl lower in both conditions. These are ballpark estimates, not guarantees a boxy SUV with a live axle and all-terrain tyres will never match a sedan's efficiency, and your actual mileage will depend heavily on load, tyre choice, and how often you engage 4WD.
Assuming a real-world average of around 13 kmpl for a diesel automatic and driving 1,500 km a month at roughly ₹92/litre for diesel in most metros, that works out to approximately ₹10,600 in monthly fuel cost a number worth budgeting for rather than treating as fixed.
Against rivals like the Force Gurkha and the upcoming crop of compact off-roaders, the Thar OG's efficiency positioning should stay broadly competitive rather than class-leading; buyers pick this car for capability first, and fuel economy second.
Inside the Thar OG: Cabin Quality, Space & Comfort
Step inside and the change from "rugged toy" to "usable SUV" is immediately obvious. The new truffle-brown leatherette seats on higher variants get body-hugging contours and perforations, which should help with both comfort and heat management during Indian summers.
Space is still tight by the standards of a five-door SUV — this remains a strict 4-seater with two forward-facing rear seats — but Mahindra has added a padded rear armrest with built-in cupholders, which makes a real difference on longer drives with a passenger in the back.
Rear AC vents are now standard from the mid-spec LXT trim upward, which matters far more in a Thar than in most cars given how much cabin space sits under a metal roof exposed to direct sun. The boot remains compact and utilitarian, in keeping with the car's off-road-first design brief, but the rear seats do fold flat to free up more load space when needed.
Front seat comfort on long drives should be improved thanks to the height-adjustable driver's seat available across variants, though the base AXT trim keeps things basic with vinyl seats and a fixed setup.
Mahindra Thar OG Features: Technology Worth Paying For?
The top ZXT trim gets a genuinely well-equipped feature list for the segment, though several items are locked to higher variants.
- Sunroof — not offered on any variant
- Wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay — on LXT and ZXT (Apple CarPlay is wired)
- Wireless charging pad — LXT and ZXT
- Ventilated seats — not offered on any variant
- 360-degree camera — only a single rear-view camera is available (LXT/ZXT)
- Connected car app / telematics suite — not mentioned in official specs
The 26.03 cm (about 10.25-inch) touchscreen infotainment system is a clear step up from the older Thar's smaller unit, and it now bundles Adventure Statistics Gen II — an altimeter, compass and roll-and-pitch meter that off-road buyers will genuinely use rather than just show off. Tyre Pressure Monitoring is standard on the ZXT, and the instrument cluster gets a coloured multi-information display on LXT and ZXT versus a plain monochrome unit on the base AXT.
What's conspicuously missing compared to rivals in the ₹15-18 lakh bracket is any form of ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) — no adaptive cruise control, no lane-keep assist. If that's a priority for you, it's worth cross-shopping before you commit.
Mahindra Thar OG Safety: How Safe Is It for Your Family?
Mahindra has clearly leaned into safety messaging for the OG. The ZXT trim gets six airbags in total — four of them HPTS (Head, Pelvis, Thorax, Shoulder) units covering both front and rear occupants — alongside ESP with rollover mitigation, ABS with EBD and brake assist, hill hold and hill descent control, and a built-in roll cage.
Here's the catch buyers should know before walking into a dealership: this generous safety kit isn't uniform across the range. The base AXT variant gets only dual front airbags, and features like the rear-view camera and ISOFIX child seat mounts are also reserved for LXT and ZXT. If safety features are a priority, the AXT is not the variant to stretch for savings on.
On independent crash testing, it's worth being upfront: the Thar OG has not yet been through Global NCAP or Bharat NCAP testing at the time of this review. For context, the outgoing three-door Thar (tested back in 2020, in its base two-airbag configuration) scored four stars for both adult and child occupant protection under Global NCAP's older protocol. With more airbags, a stiffer platform and a roll cage now built in, there's reasonable basis for optimism about the OG — but until an independent lab actually tests it, that remains an expectation rather than a confirmed rating. We'll update this review the moment official results are published.
Mahindra Thar OG Price 2026: Which Variant Is the Sweet Spot?
Introductory pricing (valid for deliveries booked until 30 November 2026) starts at ₹10.32 lakh ex-showroom and climbs to roughly ₹18.99 lakh for the best-equipped diesel automatic 4WD ZXT. Here's a simplified snapshot of where the range sits:
| Variant | Engine / Drivetrain / Gearbox | Ex-Showroom Price |
|---|---|---|
| AXT | D117 CRDe diesel, RWD, Manual | ₹10.32 lakh |
| LXT | D117 CRDe diesel, RWD, Manual | ₹12.99 lakh |
| LXT | mHawk diesel, RWD, Automatic | ~₹16.49 lakh |
| LXT | mStallion petrol, 4WD, Automatic | ~₹17.23 lakh |
| ZXT | D117 CRDe diesel, RWD, Manual | ₹13.99 lakh |
| ZXT | mHawk diesel, 4WD, Automatic | ₹18.99 lakh |
Note: exact price for every engine-drivetrain-gearbox combination varies; confirm the precise on-road figure for your chosen combination with your nearest dealer.
On-road prices (which include RTO, insurance and cess) typically add 10-15% over ex-showroom depending on the city — so a ₹16.49 lakh ex-showroom LXT automatic could realistically land around ₹18.5-19 lakh on-road in Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru, with Mumbai and Bengaluru usually landing at the higher end due to steeper road tax.
On EMIs: assuming 90% financing over 5 years at 9% per annum, a ₹15 lakh on-road price works out to an EMI of roughly ₹28,000/month. The base AXT, financed similarly, comes in closer to ₹19,000-19,500/month. Treat these as illustrative estimates — your actual EMI will depend on your credit profile, down payment and the bank's prevailing interest rate.
Our pick of the range: the LXT with the mHawk diesel automatic hits a sensible middle ground — you get the more powerful engine, a genuinely useful automatic gearbox for city driving, rear AC vents and the improved safety kit, without paying for the ZXT's cosmetic extras you may not need.
Frequently Asked Questions: Mahindra Thar OG 2026
A: Yes, more so than the outgoing Thar. The stiffer M_Glyde 4G platform and DAVINCI damping are specifically aimed at improving high-speed stability and ride comfort, though it remains a boxy SUV with the wind noise and handling characteristics that come with that shape.
A: For most buyers, the LXT with the mHawk diesel automatic offers the best balance of price, performance and features. Choose the ZXT only if you specifically want the top-spec styling, alloy wheels and full safety suite.
A: Official ARAI figures haven't been released yet. Based on the outgoing engines' behaviour, expect the diesel automatic to return roughly 11-13 kmpl in stop-start city traffic, with the petrol slightly lower.
A: The biggest changes are the new suspension (PENTALINK with Watts Link), DAVINCI damping, Electric Power Steering, more power from the mHawk and mStallion engines, a new grille and LED lighting, and an expanded 6-airbag safety package on the top variant.
A: Deliveries officially begin 11 October 2026. Given the strong demand history of the Thar nameplate, expect waiting periods to stretch for popular variant-colour combinations in the first few months — check with your local dealer for current timelines.
A: It works well as a four-seater for a small family, especially with the new rear armrest and AC vents. If you regularly need to carry more than four people or a large amount of luggage, a five-door SUV would suit you better.
Mahindra Thar OG: Overall Assessment
The Thar OG is best suited to buyers who want genuine off-road capability but were previously put off by how unrefined the outgoing Thar felt on regular roads. If your weekends involve river crossings and mountain trails and your weekdays involve potholed city commutes, this car is built for exactly that split life.
If you need a third row, a sunroof, ADAS features, or genuinely spacious rear seating for a growing family, the Thar OG isn't the right shape of car for you — look instead at a Scorpio-N or a Safari-class SUV.
For everyone else chasing that specific Thar feeling with fewer everyday compromises, this reimagined version looks like a meaningfully better ownership proposition than before — provided the eventual crash-test results and real-world mileage figures hold up to Mahindra's claims.
What do you think? Drop your questions in the comments below — found this review helpful? Share it with someone who's planning to buy their next SUV.
Download THAR OG Brochure (PDF)Disclaimer: Prices mentioned are ex-showroom and subject to change; introductory pricing is valid only for deliveries booked until 30 November 2026 as per Mahindra's official announcement. Mileage figures discussed are estimates based on comparable engines and are not official ARAI ratings, since ARAI certification for the Thar OG had not been published at the time of writing. Actual mileage may vary depending on driving conditions, traffic, load and maintenance. Safety commentary regarding Global NCAP/Bharat NCAP reflects the status of official independent testing at the time of publishing and will be updated as new results become available. Always verify current prices, specifications and safety ratings with your nearest authorised Mahindra dealer before making a purchase decision. This review is for informational purposes only.
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