5-door Mahindra Thar will have a longer wheelbase and increased track compared to the three-door model
Mahindra & Mahindra is expected to host the global premiere of the five-door Thar on August 15, 2023 according to dealer sources and it has been spotted testing multiple times. On the same date back in 2020, Mahindra unveiled the second generation Thar, which has been a tremendous success and it went past the one lakh production milestone a couple of months ago.
The close-to-production test mules of the five-door Mahindra Thar have been caught on public roads for over a year and it will help in expanding the off-roader’s range. The recently launched RWD variant of the Mahindra Thar has also been well-received by customers. The five-door model will have a stretched wheelbase and longer rear doors to accommodate a more spacious cabin.
The design cues are similar to the three-door Thar but the body panels will likely be brand new. The boxy shape with tall pillars, vertically slated front grille, round-shaped headlights, flared wheel arches, spare wheel mounted on the upright tailgate, muscular bumper section, rectangular tail lamps, etc will be carried over. It will have its overall track increased for improved stability.
The five-door Mahindra Thar will have a longer wheelbase of around 300 mm while the alloy wheels will be brand new as well. The rear door handles are mounted on the pillars this time around. The cabin will be similar to the three-door Thar except for the addition of new features as a revised touchscreen infotainment system is a possibility.
The test prototypes have been spied with individual rear seats only and it will have to be waited and seen whether a bench seat will be offered or not. As for the performance, the familiar 2.2L diesel and 2.0L petrol engines will be used and they will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed torque converter automatic unit.
Both 4WD and 2WD configurations are expected to be available. The market launch of the bigger Thar could be scheduled for later this year as Maruti Suzuki’s five-door Jimny is slated to be launched early next month and the five-door Force Gurkha is also bound for this year.