Mahindra Thar Facelift To Get ROXX-Inspired Styling: New Spyshots And Details
Mahindra is known to be working on a facelift to the outgoing 3-door Thar. We expect it to be out soon. A new set of pictures showing the near-production mule being tested has now surfaced. Though camouflaged, it shows the styling of the front fascia, and also gives a quick look at the interior. The new Thar is likely to stand closer to the ROXX in terms of styling.
Mahindra Thar Facelift: What Do The Spy Pictures Tell Us?
To begin with, Mahindra could base the facelifted Thar on the Gen-4 chassis, which is significantly better than the third-generation platform used in the outgoing Thar and the Scorpio Classic. The spy shots show the upcoming SUV to be wider. The front fascia now looks more imposing. The front fenders have also grown in size.
The grille and headlamp assemblies also look new. The outgoing Thar has a 'conventional' seven-slot grille which has an undeniable resemblance to the Jeep Wrangler's grille. The test mule seems to have a six-slat grille which Mahindra calls the 'six-pack grille'- much like the ROXX.
The headlamps will continue to be circular units but could come with LED Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs). The ROXX has C-shaped DRLs. But the 3-door facelift could come with a different pattern. Similarities to the ROXX can even be found in the designs of the front bumper and fog lamp housings.
Image source: Motorbeam
Another thing you'd notice is that the rear suspension geometry now looks similar to what is seen on the ROXX. It could also use Frequency Selective Damping (FSD), which could get the outgoing model's biggest area of complaint- the messy rear suspension- sorted. Previous sightings also hinted at the possibility of the tail lamps getting ROXX-inspired design as well. There will be a rear wiper as well.
Expected Interior Changes
Coming to the cabin, the biggest change would be the larger 10.25-inch central infotainment screen. The outgoing model has a 7-inch unit with notably inferior display quality than the ROXX-borrowed unit.
Another notable change is in the positioning of the power window controls. The test car seems to have four power windows. Unlike the outgoing model, all these buttons are door-mounted. Mahindra has also given a grab handle on the driver-side A-pillar.
The design of the center console and tunnel are now the same as those of the ROXX. The steering wheel seems to be sourced from the bigger sibling as well. The test car's cabin has a Dark theme to it. It remains to be seen if Mahindra would offer lighter cabin colours as well.
The spy shots show an analogue instrument cluster, much like the outgoing model. It is thus safe to assume that the new Thar will not get the ROXX's massive all-digital display unless Mahindra has plans of throwing a last-minute surprise!
The test mule doesn't have a LIDAR or ADAS camera. It looks like Mahindra would likely keep the ADAS exclusive to the ROXX variants. It remains to be seen if features like 360 degree camera and automatic climate control will be offered. The images also show the IRVM (inside rearview mirror) to be a manual day/night unit. Auto-dimming IRVM may not be on the cards.
The new Thar could continue with the removable fiber top, as confirmed by images. It is unlikely to make a transition to the fixed metal hard top like the ROXX. A tinge of uncertainty remains here though.
We expect Mahindra to launch the Thar facelift later this year. More details could surface closer to the launch.