Mahindra Thar (2025 facelift) first drive review

To start with, lets get the obvious bits out of the way. Yes, this is a facelift in the traditional sense of the term, but keen-eyed car enthusiasts will be quick to point out that not much has really changed. You’ll barely be able to tell the differences between the new three-door Thar and the old one, at least on the outside.

The major tell is the change to the body-coloured front grille. If you do choose to stick with the stock grille, it’s just a tiny bit nicer now. If you’re going to go aftermarket and fit on a new one immediately, this won’t matter too much, nor will it convince you to change your aftermarket plans, really. The dual-tone bumper also gets a slight update, the alloy wheels and arches look a bit nicer now, and the headlights get LED daytime running lights too. At its core though, it’s still the same design that you’d need to look closely at to tell the differences.

 

 

 

 

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Inside the cabin, there are a few noticeable differences, and where this facelift really delivers an improved experience. The big ones are the all-black dashboard and Harman infotainment system, which now gets a bigger and more prominent 10.25-inch display. Usefully, there’s also a rear-view camera to give you better visibility at the back, and a new steering wheel design to go with all of it.

In terms of tech and features, the new Thar three-door also gets rear wash and wiper, sliding armrest for the driver, rear AC vents, and useful grab handles for the A-pillars, to help you get in and out of the car. The power window controls also move from the centre to the driver’s door. That makes for a few basic creature comforts and minor tweaks that meaningfully improve the in-cabin experience.

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Straight off the bat - there are no changes in the engine, transmission, and drivetrain options here. The Mahindra Thar three-door variant continues to be offered in petrol and diesel options, with rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive variants, and the option to get automatic transmission (TC) on the petrol and 4WD diesel variants. The diesel RWD uses the older 1.5L D117 CRDe engine, the petrol options use the 2.0L mStallion 150TGDi engine, and the diesel 4WD use the 2.2L mHawk 130 engine.

As before, the Thar is built for the roughest of tracks, and taking it off-road is quite an experience. Setting it up for the right environment is easy enough thanks to dedicated drivetrain modes, and switching to 4H or 4L (depending on the conditions) puts the car into the right frame of action for the task. Conditions that would scare you in most other vehicles seem tame when at the wheel of the Thar - this really does make you feel like an off-road hero even if you have little or no experience.

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While there are no changes in the hardware, Mahindra states that incremental and tuning improvements to the way the Thar is set up have been made over the years. As a result, the Thar facelift feels noticeably different from a Thar made in 2020 or 2021, but might not feel very different to a pre-facelift Thar made in 2024 or 2025. 

Over the years, it’s become a more capable off-roader and slightly refined the on-road experience too, but you’ll still find it better suited to rough tracks than paved roads. You’ll find the Thar Roxx to be a more practical road car (plus some occasional off-road abilities), while the Thar three-door remains for the enthusiasts and those who regularly need to drive in sketchy road conditions.

The Mahindra Thar three-door facelift isn’t transformative or even significantly noticeable in most cases, but it’s a quiet and subtle way to keep a very capable SUV relevant for the next couple of years at least. The bigger screen, rear-view camera, minor in-cabin tweaks, and subtle changes to the way it drives are meaningful and entirely on point.

That said, the Mahindra Thar still isn’t for everyone. It’s a purpose-built SUV that’s in its element off the beaten track, but there remain practicality issues if you intend to use this as a city or road car. The facelift does help make things a bit more modern in the cabin, though.