Mahindra Thar Roxx review

There’s one obvious major change in the way the Mahindra Thar Roxx looks when compared to the older Thar, and that is the five-door layout. While the Thar has a rear seat row which is accessible from the front, the Thar Roxx gets a much more spacious and comfortable rear row, obviously with its own doors to get in and out. Naturally, you get the benefits of the ride height, with its commanding view and unmatched road presence.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ali Pardiwala (@alipardiwala)

Understandably, this also means that the car has a longer wheelbase, which reminds me a bit of the old Armada. However, the actual shape and styling is very much in line with the current-generation Thar. There’s plenty of ground clearance, and the 19-inch alloy wheels complete the big, tough SUV aesthetic rather nicely. The pattern on the wheels is rather interesting in itself.

Other changes include the redesigned front grille, C-shaped LED headlamps, a dual-tone metal roof, and a panoramic sunroof which covers a big section of the cabin to give you plenty of natural light if you want it. The boot is spacious with almost 450L of space from the floor to the top of the rear seat backrests, and you also get the split rear door which lets you pop open the rear window when needed.

The interiors of the Mahindra Thar Roxx look a lot more refined and polished than before, particularly because of the use of white leatherette on the seats. While you might think that makes it susceptible to stains, it’s actually a smooth material that’s easy to clean, and the colour really brightens up the cabin. The cabin also looks a lot more modern and fresh, and a particularly nice touch is the boilerplate right above the glove box which features the serial number of the car.

Like a typical SUV, the Mahindra Thar Roxx is high up and needs a step up to climb in, although fortunately, there is a step on both sides to help you up. The wide, rugged, and slightly old-school (but in a good way) exterior really shines in the white colour option, although the red is a lot more visually striking to look at.

The Mahindra Thar Roxx doesn’t skimp on creature comforts, fortunately. It’s a well-equipped SUV both on the inside and outside, while sticking to its traditional styling, petrol and diesel powertrains, and positioning as both a comfortable cruiser and rugged rough-roader.

The technological benefits are quite visible inside the cabin, in the form of powered and ventilated front seats, sound isolated cabin, and 10.2-inch digital screens - one for the infotainment system, and a second for the fully-digital instrument cluster. You also get an impressive nine-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, support for Alexa voice controls, a Qi wireless charging pad right under the infotainment system, and support for the Adrenox Connect app (on some models). 

This connects to the Mahindra Thar Roxx to provide car information such as the odometer reading and location, and lets you control basic bits such as the door locks and headlights remotely. It worked rather well when the car managed to connect to a stable network.

Usefully, some variants of the Mahindra Thar Roxx also get Level 2 ADAS, with some useful features such as forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking. Backing all of this up is a 360-degree camera system. While the camera system is useful, it wasn’t necessarily as sharp and clear as on some other cars I’ve driven recently, often giving an image that was a bit hazy and unclear. Still, an experienced driver will be able to make do between the camera and actual visibility, so it does have some utility.

While the Mahindra Thar’s infotainment system wasn’t necessarily bad, it felt a bit barebones and small for the car. The Thar Roxx levels this up a bit, thanks to the larger 26cm screen, connected stock UI, and app support. The built-in UI gets support for various info screens and features, including mapping by MapMyIndia, support for additional apps that can be installed in the car directly, and some useful info displays for on-road and off-road driving stats. 

Information such as power and torque levels, compass and altimeter readings, roll and pitch, and tyre direction for assistance while driving on rough patches and off-road tracks, are available through the stock UI. You can connect your smartphone to the Bluetooth and use the stock infotainment UI while still having access to your phone for calls and text messages.

Of course, if you prefer, you can just connect your smartphone to the infotainment system to use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. If you have an iPhone, CarPlay is only supported through the wired connection method, while Android Auto also works wirelessly once you’ve connected and set it up for your smartphone. Connectivity was quite stable and hassle-free over long stretches, which makes usage with an Android device very convenient.

The Adrenox Connect app for the Mahindra Thar Roxx gives you access to various info, including the location of the car, the odometer reading, trip details including mapping and distance covered, an estimate of how long you can drive on your current fuel level, and more. When the ignition is off, you can also access in-car controls and trigger them remotely, including the sunroof, hazard lights, door locks, and more. All of it is rather useful, especially if you need to keep track of the Thar Roxx when it’s with someone else.

Mahindra has come a long way in not a very long time, and its modern cars are a lot more refined and up-to-date as a result. The Thar Roxx is just about as modern and capable as some of Mahindra’s other more recent SUVs, thanks to the powerful and refined engine and transmission options available in the lineup. You can choose between petrol or diesel, automatic or manual transmission, and four-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive only options, with prices expectedly varying depending on what you pick.

All 4WD variants of the car are available with the 2.2L diesel mHawk engine, while petrol options with the 2L mStallion turbo petrol engine are limited to RWD. Of course, there are options with RWD even with the diesel engine, and you can choose between automatic or manual transmission across variants. Prices for the 4WD variants have yet to be announced, while the top-end AX7L variant with the diesel engine and automatic transmission is priced at Rs. 20,49,000 (ex-showroom).

For my review, I had a chance to drive the Diesel 4WD with manual transmission. This variant gets a separate stick shift for the drive mode. I did, of course, stick to 2H (rear wheel drive) on the road, but there were a couple of occasions where I needed to engage 4WD (both in the high and low modes), to get the car through some muddy off-road patches.

On the road, the Mahindra Thar Roxx is a refined, capable car that can handle most Indian road conditions without any trouble. You get the quiet and comfortable ride, torque for high-speed overtaking, and ability to cruise on highways at the speed limit while never feeling that you might be going too fast. The ride is comfortable both at the front and back, with an acceptable amount of body roll. Climbing and rolling stretches were no worry for the Thar.

During my minor off-road antics, I did manage to get the Thar through a muddy patch with 4WD, which managed to overcome the wheel spin which was taking place in RWD mode. All in all, this is a car primary meant for the open highway and can even capably tackle rough roads even without relying on 4WD, although if you intend to do some serious off-roading, you might want to skip the RWD variants. Fuel economy is also a bit of a concern; this is a thirsty engine that seemed to be giving around 10.5km/l during my time with it.

The Mahindra Thar Roxx has been the most widely anticipated car launch of 2024 so far, and the product entirely lives up to the hype. It’s a capable, refined SUV with plenty to like, now also coming with the enhanced practicality of a proper and spacious rear seat row with its own doors. There’s also a decent amount of tech inside, including an excellent infotainment system, the feature-filled Adrenox Connect app, and the nine-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

This is the SUV you may not necessarily need, but most definitely want. It’s well-priced immensely practical for highway driving and rough-roading with the whole family, and oh-so-desirable. You know you want it, so go get it.