DC2 Mercury eTanq Spotted On Road For The First Time Is Actually A Mahindra Thar? [Video]
Earlier this year at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Global Auto Expo, the popular Indian car designer and after-modification shop Dilip Chhabria, or more commonly known as DC, showed an extremely rugged EV concept called DC2 Mercury Tanq. It was announced that this EV SUV will boast a 180 kWh battery pack, which will be the largest on any car in India, and will be launched in 2026. Now, since then, nothing was heard about this vehicle until recently when it was spotted on the road for the first time. What's shocking is that this particular DC2 Mercury Tanq is not actually an EV.
DC2 Mercury Tanq on road
The video showing the DC2 Mercury Tanq on road has been shared on Instagram by Car Chariot Ind on their page. In this short video, the DC2 Mercury Tanq SUV can be seen driving on the road at night. It can be seen that the vehicle has a unique LED taillight, which spans from one end to the other. It has two lines, which have a long dotted design. The rear diffuser of this SUV is also very aggressive.
In this short clip, the DC2 Mercury Tanq can also be seen making a left turn. The front end of this SUV gets a very aggressive front grille with small LED headlights. Also, the front fenders are very chunky, which add to the rugged off-roader SUV stance of this vehicle. The main highlight of the Tanq is its massive all-terrain tyres and alloy wheels.
DC2 Mercury Tanq is NOT an EV
For those who may not remember, at the Bharat Mobility Global Auto Expo this year in January, DC2 announced its partnership with Mercury. Along with this, they also showcased the first product that they will be launching together, and it is none other than DC2 Mercury Tanq. The comment at the auto expo stated the Tanq will be an all-electric rugged SUV, which will be able to tackle any off-road terrain.
DC2 Mercury also announced that the Tanq will be offered with a 180 kWh battery pack, which will be the largest battery pack on any EV car for sale in India. They also announced that this SUV will get a dual-motor setup (one motor per axle). As a result of this setup, it will get an all-wheel-drive system as well. However, the recently spotted DC2 Mercury Tanq on the road is not an electric vehicle.
Rather, this particular Tanq is based on a three-door Mahindra Thar 4X4. Now, you may be wondering, how can we be sure about this? Well, the number plate on the vehicle reveals this key information. Also, it is registered in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, and the vehicle is just nine months old. Additionally, there are no previous other DC2-designed Thars which boast this unique exterior design. It appears that this is just a pre-production prototype.
Will the production DC2 Mercury Tanq be an EV?
Most likely, this particular DC2 Mercury Tanq that has been spotted was designed by the brand based on the Thar to gauge buyer interest at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Global Auto Expo. What we believe is that the company, before investing in a born-electric platform and creating the massive 180 kWh battery pack, wanted to check if there is a demand for such a vehicle or not.
At the auto expo, it was stated that the Tanq will be launched with a price in the range of Rs 50 lakh. Most likely, the company will be going forward with the launch of this model in 2026. Currently, the company is working on custom projects for individuals on vehicles like the Toyota Innova, Fortuner, Force Urbania, and other cars.