3-door Mahindra Thar spotted testing again, launch imminent

The 3-door Mahindra Thar is about to get a facelift this festive season. Test mules of the lifestyle SUV have been spotted on Indian roads since March. More recently, it was spotted testing in Tamil Nadu. The test mule was sparsely camouflaged, with large parts of the profile and rear section left exposed. The SUV was updated last year, but instead of major cosmetic it got a few feature additions. The upcoming model is classified as a ‘facelift’.

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3-door Mahindra Thar facelift: What to expect?

The 3-door Thar facelift will borrow some design elements from its 5-door sibling, Thar Roxx. The latest spy shots give a clearer look at the front grille, revealing a design that’s closer to the 5-door model. The lower variants may stick with a 5-slat design, as indicated by previous spy shots. The circular LED headlamps lie on either side of the grille. They are integrated with C-shaped LED DRLs. The bumper also appears to have been reworked. The LED fog lights will have the cornering function.

At the back, the changes will be limited to the bumper and LED tail lamps. The tailgate of the most recent test mule was left completely undisguised, and it looks identical to its current counterpart. The profile was left exposed too. The only change along the sides appears to be focused on the wheel arches, which were hidden under covers. The 18-inch alloy wheels may rock a new design on the facelift model.

Inside, the 3-door Thar facelift could get a new dashboard layout and a TFT instrument cluster. It will carry forward the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display from the current model. This display supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The current model also comes with Adventure Stats Gen II, which offers off-road data such as a racing tab, altimeter, outside temperature and pressure, trip meter and steering direction. The Tyre Direction Monitoring System gives real-time information on tyre orientation. These features will be carried forward too.

While not much is known about new feature additions, Mahindra could make improvements by updating the lifestyle SUV with an auto-dimming IRVM, ventilated front seats, and leatherette seating. A Level 2 ADAS feature, at least on the higher variants, would go a long way too.

The new 3-door Mahindra Thar will not get any changes under its hood. It will continue to be offered in 3 engine options. The 2.0-litre petrol engine produces a maximum power output of 152hp. The 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine generates a maximum power output of 119hp and 300Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine puts out 132hp.

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Final Thoughts

As mentioned earlier, the facelift model will likely be launched in the festive season. The current 3-door Thar range starts at Rs 10.32 lakh and goes up to Rs 18 lakh. The new model may demand a small premium. It will continue to rival the Maruti Suzuki Jimny and Force Gurkha.