The Mahindra Thar has long been synonymous with rugged capability, dominant road presence, and iconic off-road heritage. It shares a deeply rooted connection with Indian buyers who revere its upright stance and go-anywhere character. While Mahindra recently refreshed the iconic three-door model with the new ‘Thar OG‘ moniker, it looks like the story does not stop there. The brand is now working on an electric Thar, and the SUV has been spotted testing on public roads for the first time.
The test vehicle is heavily camouflaged, but several details can still be seen. It appears to take design inspiration from the Vision T concept shown in 2025.
Exterior Design
The spy shots show a five-door SUV with a tall and square body. The front gets a wide grille with vertical elements, while the headlamps have a squared shape.
Some visible design details include:
- Flat bonnet with a clamshell-style design
- Upright windscreen
- Large flared wheel arches
- Boxy body shape
- Large rectangular ORVMs
- Flat side steps
- Large wheels, likely around 19 or 20 inches
- Upright tailgate and large rear glass
- Chunky lower bumper
The tyres on the test vehicle look more road-biased than the rubber seen on the Thar.e and Vision T concepts.
One interesting detail is the rear spare wheel. There are conflicting views from the early spy images, with some shots suggesting the absence of an externally mounted spare and others indicating a Thar-style rear-mounted unit. The final production design should make this clearer.
Cabin Looks More Practical
The interior has also been partly photographed. A digital instrument display can be seen, along with large grab handles near the A-pillars.
The Vision T concept had a portrait touchscreen, a separate instrument display and a large centre console. Mahindra could carry some of these elements into the production SUV.
The Scorpio Lifestyler also uses a large portrait-style infotainment screen, so there is a possibility of some shared technology. However, the exact screen size and hardware have not been confirmed.
New Platform
The SUV is expected to use Mahindra’s NU_IQ architecture. This platform can support petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric powertrains, with front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive layouts. Battery size, range, motor output and charging details have not been revealed. Reports have also linked the project with battery technology used in the BE 6 and XEV 9e, but this is yet to be confirmed.
The platform also brings a different chassis layout from the current Thar family. The test vehicle appears to use independent rear suspension, while the NU_IQ architecture is designed around a modern SUV layout.
From Thar.e To Vision T
Mahindra has said NU_IQ-based models will enter production from 2027. The electric Thar is expected later, with a launch possibly taking place in 2028 or beyond.
The design story started with the Thar.e concept in 2023. Vision T followed in 2025 and gave the concept a more practical shape. The latest test vehicle shows that Mahindra has carried several of those visual cues into road testing. Mahindra has also filed design patents for Vision T and Vision SXT.
Image source – Rushlane