Mahindra Thar ROXX: A Great Alternative To the Hyundai Creta/Maruti Grand Vitara? [Video]

It’s 10 AM on a Saturday morning and you’re getting bombarded by a barrage of Mahindra Thar ROXX reviews. Instead of putting out a regular review that dives into what the just-launched Thar ROXX feels and drives like, we decided to explore the question that a lot of you must be having. ‘Can I replace my Hyundai Creta/Kia Seltos/Add Any Mid Sized SUV here with the Thar ROXX?’ Let’s begin right here.

Yes, the Mahindra Thar ROXX can be a genuine alternative to the Cretas and Grand Vitaras of this world, and your family not going to curse you for buying a ‘Jeep’ rather than a SUV. In every conceivable aspect, the Thar ROXX is a huge upgrade over the 3 door model, and in fact is a Scorpio-N with the legendary looks of a ‘Jeep’. It’s very smooth to drive, has plenty of pep at all speeds, rides very well and is feature-rich. In fact, this should give you a fair picture of what the Thar ROXX is all about, and why everyone’s gushing about it. Now, to the specifics.

Let’s start with ride quality first

I’ve owned the facelifted 1st generation Mahindra Thar for about 3 years and 45,000 kilometers. I had to sadly let it go as it just wasn’t comfortable enough for family use. It was a great one or two person ‘Jeep’ but came with all the idiosyncrasies that old ‘Jeep’ or should I call it the ‘Mahindra Jeep’ designs suffered, and ride quality was one of them. The first-gen Thar simply hated bad roads or even less than perfect roads. It was just too stiff and everyone aboard would feel every single imperfection of the road. Not a comfortable experience, not by a mile.

So, when the all-new, 2nd generation 3 door Thar came out, I was quite positive that Mahindra would’ve made it far more live-able, especially when it came to ride quality. And indeed it was. It was far more comfortable than the first-generation Thar but still drove like a ‘Jeep’. Families would wince at the prospect of doing long journeys on the 3 door Thar, which brings us to the Thar ROXX – the latest and greatest Thar Mahindra has put out. This one finally makes the transition from ‘Jeep’ to ‘S-U-V’.

The Thar ROXX rides very well. In fact, it’s similar to the Mahindra Scorpio-N in the way that it absorb bumps and road imperfections at higher speeds. At lower speeds, there’s a bit of choppiness that give away the fact that this is not a monocoque SUV we’re dealing with but rather a rugged body-on-ladder frame equipped SUV that can take a fair bit of abuse, and still feel very tough and sturdy. That tough-ness comes through in the Thar ROXX, and ride quality is almost Scorpio-N like.

Mahindra seems to have intentionally gone in for a stiffer set up at lower speeds as this is what makes the Thar ROXX a lot more flickable at higher speeds. It doesn’t struggle to change direction and is nimble enough to be thrown in and out of gaps in traffic. The electric steering is really well weighted – feels effortless at parking speeds – and weighs up nicely as speeds go up.

There’s no wooden feeling and you can confidently do triple digit speeds in the Thar ROXX, just the way you would in say a Scorpio-N. So, the Thar ROXX is the closest a ‘Jeep’ styled vehicle has come to a SUV in terms of way it rides and handles, and this factor alone is a huge win, and a positive for everyone considering this over say a Hyundai Creta or a Maruti Grand Vitara. You can go ahead, and test drive one, with family in tow. You’re not likely to be disappointed by the ride. In fact, you may end up buying one.

The 5 door layout is a game changer

While getting in and out of the 3-door Thar’s rear bucket seats was a chore that most elders wouldn’t appreciate, the five door layout on the Thar ROXX makes life very comfortable. You still have to climb into the Thar ROXX as the SUV rides quite high but aside that little inconvenience, the space on offer in the rear seat is quite generous.

Three well built adults will be comfortable in the Thar ROXX’s rear seat, and there’s plenty of leg room, shoulder room and head room. The view from the rear seat is just as commanding as the one from front, and the air conditioning does have rear vents for a very comfortable experience.

The massive panoramic sunroof and the beige colour for the headliner do their bits to add to the airiness of the cabin while there are three point seatbelts or all three passengers at the rear. There’s a nice arm rest as well that folds out if there’s just two people seated on the rear bench seat. Six airbags being standard means passive safety is also sorted. All in all, it’s a very comfortable place to be in and families are going to be quite happy in this space.

Life’s even better at the front

And especially behind the wheel of the Thar Roxx. The familiar shallow dashboard – typical of Jeeps – greets those in the driver and front passenger seats. Ergonomically, the driver’s seat is absolutely sorted with a 6 way electrically adjustable seat, a tilt steering and well spaced control pedals. The height adjustable seatbelts make the Thar ROXX’s front seats a great place to be in for all sizes of people. The air conditioning – now with climate control – is a chiller, and the Harman Kardon music system with 9 speakers sounds quite fruity. Bass lovers will appreciate the sub-woofer placed in the boot.

Starting the Thar ROXX is through a push button start button in place of a key hole on the steering column. The diesel engine does induce some shake in the cabin – typical of ladder frame vehicles – but settles down into a soft purr. In fact, at idle – save for the mild buzz in the seats, steering and gear lever, it’s hard to tell that it’s a diesel we’re dealing with. It’s a very quiet motor at idle, and all this despite no insulation under the bonnet.

The 2.2 liter mHawk diesel is one of the most refined diesels around and it shows as the Thar ROXX gets a move on. Releasing the electric parking brake, the throttle needs a mild push and the Thar ROXX glides ahead effortlessly. The 6 speed torque converter automatic gearbox is a delight to use as it’s tuned for drivability over fuel efficiency. The gearbox is very eager to downshift and give you all the torque – 370 Nm of it – this engine makes than upshift at the slightest opportunity to conserve fuel.

Enthusiasts will live the smooth surge of power at all rpms, and this makes the Thar ROXX not just effortless to drive but also quite involving. In case you’re wondering, we drove the diesel rear wheel drive top-end automatic trim – just the trim that Mahindra intends to challenge the Cretas and Grand Vitaras with. The motor makes a healthy 174 Bhp, and the power feels more than adequate.

The steering – as mentioned earlier – is very well weighted and the Thar ROXX does respond very well to quick direction changes. It’s no compact SUV though as you will feel the heft of the vehicle through 1. The high seating position and 2. A general sense of heaviness since this is a heavy SUV. While Mahindra hasn’t revealed the kerb weight of the Thar ROXX, it’s safe to assume that this SUV would be about 150-200 kilos lighter than say the Scorpio-N, which weighs in at about 2,000 Kgs. So, the Thar ROXX is significantly heavier than the Cretas and Grand Vitaras of the world, and you do feel the weight when making quick direction changes. So, if you want something that’s car-like in terms of handling, this clearly isn’t it!

Features, and more features

With the Thar ROXX, Mahindra has no left no stone unturned to offer a boat load of features. From the subscription-based Alexa voice commands that do a host of things including opening the panoramic sunroof, to Bluetooth equipped infotainment unit, the Thar ROXX packs in automatic headlamps, wireless phone charging, automatic wipers, automatic climate control, height adjustable front seatbelts, ventilated driver and front passenger seats, a 65 W USB Type C charging port, and a lot more.

We’re attaching the brochure of the Thar ROXX here so that you can get a full sense of what the Thar ROXX offers in terms of features.

Are there no quirks at all?

Well, there are. For instance, the remote release for the fuel flap just didn’t work well for us. The off-white leatherette seats can get dirty, and will need quite a bit of maintenance to keep clean The dead pedal does chafe the side of the footwear, and it could be more of an issue for those with larger feet. The blisters on the rear windscreen that are meant to cover the hinges look like an after thought. The two stage opening for the rear door seems pointless as the large spare wheel blocks luggage movement.

Then there’s the ugly gap between the metal hard top and the fiber section that makes for the final section of the roof. We hope this is taken care of in the actual production versions. So yes, there are some bits that could do with better refinement but overall the Thar ROXX is a massive upgrade over the 3 door model, and is now a viable alternative for the Cretas and Grand Vitaras of this world.

Test drives commence from 14th September, bookings from 3rd October, and actual deliveries will happen from Dusshera. The top-end diesel automatic rear wheel drive version that we experienced at Kochi is priced at Rs. 19.99 lakh, ex-showroom. In comparison, the top-end diesel automatic Hyundai Creta is priced at Rs. 20.14 lakh rupees, ex-showroom.