5-door Mahindra Thar RWD variant has been caught testing and it suggests that the upcoming off-road SUV could be sold in an expansive range
It is no secret that Mahindra & Mahindra has been testing the five-door variant of the Thar lifestyle off-roader on public roads as the test mules have often emerged on the internet. Only a few weeks ago, Mahindra introduced the regular three-door Thar with a rear-wheel drive configuration and it also features a new 1.5-litre D117 four-cylinder diesel engine.
Due to it being a sub-four metre SUV and powered by a 1.5-litre engine, it qualifies for tax exemptions and thus the Thar RWD is priced competitively with a starting price of Rs. 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom) as buyers could save over Rs. 4 lakh. It appears that the homegrown SUV specialist will follow the same trend with the upcoming five-door Thar.
The latest prototype spotted in a convoy of Mahindra test mules indicates that the five-door version will also get a two-wheel drive layout. This will help in having an expansive range compared to the five-door Maruti Suzuki Jimny which will only be available upon launch by mid-2023 with a four-wheel drive configuration.
However, whether the five-door Mahindra Thar will be available with the aforementioned 1.5-litre oil burner or not is yet unknown but it won’t get tax benefits though as it will be longer and have an extended wheelbase compared to the three-door model. It will be based on the same body-on-frame construction as the existing Thar but modified to accommodate more space.
It can be clearly seen in the spy shots as the longer rear doors and a roomier interior for more occupants are evident. In addition, a sneak peek at the bootspace suggests that it will boast a larger storage volume. The test mule is devoid of the 4X4 lever further and a front centre armrest will be a notable inclusion as it is currently not available in Thar.
While no rear washer/wiper is available, the rear door handles are positioned on the C-pillars and we can expect both hard and soft top variants to be sold with the upcoming five-door model. The rear seats are separate chairs but the production model could be available with a middle-row bench and a third-row.
Besides these changes, the exterior and interior remain identical to the three-door model and the features list will also be similar.
