- The Mahindra Thar update keeps its iconic design with refreshed grille and LED lights
- New 19-inch alloy wheels enhance the Thar's stance and give a premium look
- Cabin upgrades include leatherette seats and rear armrest for improved comfort
The Mahindra Thar has always been easy to describe. It wasn't the most refined SUV. It wasn't the most practical either. But if you wanted something that had character, presence, and the ability to go almost anywhere, the Thar was usually the answer.
With this update, Mahindra hasn't tried to reinvent that formula. Instead, it has focused on addressing the areas where the Thar felt compromised as an everyday vehicle. The result is an SUV that still feels unmistakably like a Thar, but one that's noticeably easier to live with.
And after spending time with the 2.2-litre diesel automatic 4x4, both on and off the road, that's perhaps the biggest takeaway.
Mahindra Thar OG: Familiar Design, Better Executed
Visually, the Thar remains recognisably itself. The new grille, revised LED lighting, and updated bumpers freshen things up without altering the SUV's identity. It still has the upright stance and boxy proportions that made it so desirable in the first place.
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What caught my eye more than anything else, though, were the new 19-inch alloy wheels. They transform the visual stance of the SUV and give it a more premium appearance than before. If there is one exterior update that instantly stands out, it's these wheels.
The wider track also helps. The Thar looks more planted and purposeful, even when standing still.
Mahindra Thar OG: Cabin Feels Richer This Time
The older Thar never really tried to hide its utilitarian roots. This one still doesn't, but there is clearly more effort to make the cabin feel premium.
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The leatherette upholstery immediately elevates the experience. More importantly, small details now make a difference. The rear armrest, for example, feels like a tiny addition on paper but makes the back seat a much more pleasant place to spend time.
It's still not trying to be a luxury SUV. It's just trying harder to be a comfortable one.
Mahindra Thar OG Road Manners: Polished, If Anything
The most meaningful changes aren't visible.
Mahindra's new platform, revised suspension setup, electric power steering, and updated hardware have collectively improved the way the Thar behaves on the road.
The first thing I noticed was the braking. The Thar now sheds speed with far more confidence than before. There's still some nose-dive under harder braking, but stopping distances feel shorter, and the overall confidence level is significantly higher.
The second improvement is highway behaviour. Earlier, the Thars could feel busy at speed, constantly moving vertically over road undulations. This updated SUV feels calmer. The reduction in vertical movement improves long-distance comfort and makes the vehicle feel more settled. To deal with potholes and big bumps at cruising speed, there's DaVinci damper to keep you at ease.
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Then there's the electric power steering. I wasn't expecting it to stand out, but it genuinely surprised me. It feels lighter in city use without disconnecting you entirely from what the front wheels are doing.
Mahindra Thar OG Off-Roading: More Capable, But More Civilised
The updated Thar continues to be extremely capable once the road disappears.
The addition of an electronic locking differential and new terrain modes brings extra capability and convenience. For most users, the system is arguably more polished and easier to operate than before.
That said, as someone who enjoys more hardcore off-roading, I still prefer the mechanical engagement that traditional setups offer. The new system works exceptionally well, but enthusiasts may still miss some of that old-school feel.
Mahindra Thar OG: The Thar Finally Grows Up
This isn't a completely new Thar, and frankly, it didn't need to be.
What Mahindra has done is take a hugely successful formula and refine the bits that owners complained about the most. The cabin feels better, the brakes inspire more confidence, highway behaviour has improved, and the steering is more civilised.
Most importantly, none of that comes at the expense of what made the Thar special in the first place.
The attitude is still there. It just feels a little more mature now.
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