3-door Mahindra Thar spotted testing

The 3-door Mahindra Thar was updated with a facelift model last year. However, its test mule was recently spotted on a road test in Tamil Nadu. While it was completely camouflaged, the test mule hinted towards a design inspired by the Thar Roxx. Mahindra could launch it in the festive season, following a summer unveil.

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2026 Mahindra Thar: What do the spy shots suggest?

The cutouts on the front fascia of the 3-door Thar test mule suggest a circular design for the LED headlamps and C-shaped DRLs. The grille has six vertical slats and a split design. The current model uses halogen headlamps and sports a standard grille. The profile of the SUV is expected to remain unchanged, but it will get a new design for its alloy wheels. At the back, the design of the LED tail lamps will be revised.

The spy shots do not reveal any details about the upcoming 3-door Thar’s interior. Mahindra could tweak the dashboard design and add a new colour theme. We don’t expect it to get any significant feature upgrades. It will carry the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display from last year’s model. This display supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The MY2025 model also gets Adventure Stats Gen II, which offers off-road data such as racing tab, altimeter, outside temperature and pressure, trip meter and steering direction. The Tyre Direction Monitoring System gives real-time information on tyre orientation.

No mechanical changes are expected under the hood of the 2026 3-door Mahindra Thar. 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

It is believed that Mahindra is bringing the design of the 3-door Thar closer to the Thar Roxx to save manufacturing costs. Prices for the current model start at Rs 9.99 lakh and go up to Rs 17.19 lakh. Mahindra will look to keep the starting price of the lifestyle SUV under Rs 10 lakh. However, its higher variants could get a price bump if they are equipped with a Level 2 ADAS package. Upon launch, it will continue to rival the Maruti Suzuki Jimny and Force Gurkha.