The Drive Report: Mahindra Thar Roxx

It is designed to offer more comfort, more swag, while still being a go-anywhere recreational off-roader.

The Mahindra Thar has gone on to become one of the most celebrated and recognisable automobiles in India in a relatively short span of time, having gone on to evolve from a derivative concept to a national phenomenon in the span of a decade.

Dissecting the Thar’s unfathomable popularity and its effect on the Indian motorist’s psyche are topics for another day. Suffice it to say that few automotive shapes and silhouettes have been so effective in communicating what they are about. For the current-gen three-door Thar, it was off-roading abilities with improved on-road dynamics and adventurous intent offered in relatively higher levels of comfort than before. But a family-friendly, grand-touring SUV? Surely that’s a stretch.

Literally and metaphorically speaking the Thar Roxx is so much more than a stretch-Thar. It is designed to offer more comfort, more swag, while still being a go-anywhere recreational off-roader. Having driven it across three states, for over 580 consistent kilometres, we’ve put the Thar Roxx through an endurance run which serves as the ultimate litmus test.

Brass Tacks

Before we do that, let’s talk about how the new Thar Roxx differs from its three-door sibling. Apart from the obvious addition in door count, there is now an additional 443 mm in length, 400mm of which lies between the axles. It’s also a tad wider ( by 50mm) and a bit taller ( by 68mm). It offers the same engine options, sans the 1.5-litre turbo-diesel on the three-door RWD Thar. However, both the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel and the 2.0-litre petrol are offered in a higher state of tune and so make more power (150 bhp, 160 bhp respectively) and more torque (3 to compensate for the added bulk.

We then come to the interiors where Mahindra has clearly gone all-out. You now get a dual-tone white and black dashboard, leatherette upholstery, ventilated seats, footwell lighting, a panoramic sunroof, a rear-door that opens at a 90-degree angle, revealing a cavernous interior that feels impeccably finished. Gone are the days of the 8-inch touchscreen – this is a consummate upgrade featuring a large 10.25-inch infotainment and driver’s display screen. There's also a 9-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, rear AC vents, a 360-degree camera, ADAS with automated emergency braking and collision mitigation – the list is exhaustive. Suffice it to say that it even has the Scorpio-N pipped in some regards, save for three-row seating, which it doesn’t offer. Instead you get 644 litres of storage space. Wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay will also be on offer.

The Grand Tour

The Thar in question here was the range-topping, automatic version of the RWD diesel, and given that the RWD version is the one that’s likely to sell the most, it's the highway mannerisms of the Roxx that are more important than sheer off-roading ability. Driving across from Kochi to Bengaluru, a lot of the new Thar’s claimed attributes were put to the test. For starters, there’s the lowered NVH level on this thing which was simply staggering. Firing-up the pre-production diesel immediately made this apparent, so quiet and refined is the engine. Having driven the first-gen Thar across Rajasthan, all the way to Delhi, engulfed throughout by the gruff, earthy rumble of its diesel mill, it’s incredible what a leap Mahindra has made in the span of a generation. With about 588 km between me and my destination, the Thar Roxx is off to a very promising start.

On the highway, the 370 Nm (330 for the manual) allows it to pull ahead cleanly, with dollops of low-end torque working its way through the torque converter to deliver a robust and linear surge of performance. Step on the throttle and the 6-speed AT shifts down quickly, marking the rare occasion where the diesel engine makes its presence aurally apparent. Power levels are steady as you climb up the revs, mid-range is strong and the Roxx never leaves you wanting for more power. In fact, it gathers momentum eerily quickly. This being a pre-production version, I had some reservations about its ability to chew-up the tarmac non-stop for nearly 600km, but not once did the Thar Roxx rattle or creak.

Nor did it wallow. Mahindra claims to have re-adjusted the damping on the 5-door Roxx in a way that curtails lateral movement while still keeping the Thar very softly sprung. This did seem like a bit of stretch until I allowed the Thar to tackle a corner at a relatively high speed, only to be gobsmacked by its composure. No, it’s not monocoque-level dynamic, but the moment I expected the ladder-frame level body-roll to properly kick-in, never came to pass. Given its sheer length, added to the fact that there was very little weight at the back, did make the rear a bit bouncy, particularly whenever it hit an undulating steel strip on a flyover or a speed breaker. Having subjected it to only mild-levels of off-roading, one involving a mild skirmish with a hardened sand-mound, the Thar pretty much scoffed at surface undulations. It shows no particular preference for the tarmac or a muddy track, because its towering presence dwarves any topographic armaments deployed by the road. The full extent of its off-roading capabilities will have to be explored another day.

Verdict

Rarely have I witnessed such curiosity from a crowd as I did with the Roxx. This is partly down to the fact that Kerala is the largest market for the Thar, so the most repeated line of questioning from bystanders was “How comfortable is it?” “Is it smooth?” which tells you immediately what sort of deficit they’re hoping the Roxx will fill, and what their chief expectation from it is. To paraphrase, the average passer-by wanted to ask “Is this an SUV that’s still catering to my niche, off-road enthusiast requirements, or can we add family SUV to its growing list of attributes?”. “Is this the all-purpose SUV that serves interests other than my own?”. To which the answer is an unequivocal and emphatic, yes. It’s a rare moment for a brand when the biggest threat to its sales comes from within and in that regard, the Thar Roxx will cannibalise sales not only of the three-door but also the Scorpio-N whose function overlaps with its own. A lot of the differences between the two comes down to form factor, and three-row seating. The Scorpio N also makes more power and torque, but the Thar might just have it beat when it comes to bells and whistles. Bottomline is that the Thar that once spoke exclusively to the 9-year-old in you now speaks just as effectively to the mature, family-oriented adult in you. Let’s hope Mahindra can brace themselves for the avalanche of orders that are bound to come-in because the Thar Roxx lives-up to its name and then some.