With the new Scorpio N and Classic launching, you might wonder which SUV Mahindra has in store for us next. Well, Mahindra has been actively working on a 5-door version of the Thar and it has been spotted testing for the first time! Considering the amount of testing every new Mahindra undergoes, we don’t expect the Thar 5 door to launch until 2023 August or even much later than that! Let’s take a look at what we can expect from it:
What to expect
As seen in the spy shots, the 5-door Thar will be much larger than the 3 door Thar in terms of every aspect. The wheelbase will be stretched to accomodate the extra row of seats. The width and height will be increased as well to make the SUV look more propotionate. However, one can expect it to slot below the Scorpio N in terms of the overall dimensions. The rear looks more or less similar to the 3-door Thar with the tailgate mounted spare wheel and LED taillamps. The side is where you notice the biggest change with the addition of a rear door and a new glass house. Though we don’t have a clear look of the front, we can assume that the front will be the same as its smaller sibling.
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It gets circular LED headlights with LED DRLs and a six slat grille. Expect the 5-door Thar to have a lesser degree of approach, departure and breakover angle due to the added length and change in dimensions when compared to the 3-door Thar. The 5-door Thar is also expected to be hard top only rather than a soft top. Other design elements such as the 18-inch wheels remain the same. The 5-door Thar may offer the option of multiple seating configurations such as 5, 6, or 7 seats. Since the 5-door Thar will be more family friendly, we expect the interiors to get an upgrade in terms of overall ambience when compared to the 3-door Thar. Expect more equipment and use of better materials and upholstery. The 3-door Thar has scored 4 stars in the Global NCAP crash test and we don’t expect the 5 door version to be any less.
In terms of powertrain, the current Thar gets a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine which cranks out 130hp, 300Nm and is available with a 6-speed manual gearbox and an optional, Aisin-sourced, 6-speed torque converter. It also gets a 2.0-litre mStallion petrol motor that cranks out 150hp of power and 300 Nm (MT), 320Nm (AT) of torque. Expect the 5-door version to get a tweaked version of these powertrains. Mahindra will also re-tune the suspension to deal with the extra weight. Though the 5-door Thar will come with 4×4, we can expect it to come in the 4×2 avatar as well to make it more accessible.