Mahindra Thar Roxx

‘Premium’ is the first word that we reflected on when we checked out the interior of the Mahindra That Roxx. The entire setup’s loaded with tech and gives off a more “luxurious” feel compared to the three-door model.

Girish notes,
“The interior is a massive leap forward. It feels premium, busy in a good way, and well-finished with dual-tone textures and quality plastics.”

Cabin Layout and Quality

Inside, the dashboard has been modernised with soft-touch materials and a black and white/beige dual-tone theme. There is a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the cockpit, sitting alongside a fully digital instrument cluster of the same size. To our touch, the switchgear felt robust, while the tactile toggle switches gave off the familiar rugged off-roader vibe. The higher trims also benefit from soft-touch materials on the door pads.

Seating Comfort

Front Row

The front seats are wide, firmly bolstered, and finally have a ventilation function; a blessing for Indian summers. The driver enjoys a high view of the bonnet, and to make this experience more rewarding, the higher variants get an electrically adjustable driver's seat. Additionally, a padded central armrest is available.

Second Row

Here, the newly added rear bench changes the game. Space is now generous, and the longer wheelbase manages much better legroom for rear passengers. The seats are also well-contoured with a comfortable backrest angle, while other benefits include a 60:40 split function, dedicated AC vents, and USB charging ports.

Features That Improve Daily Use

• A massive panoramic sunroof hovers above the passengers’ heads, making the cabin feel incredibly airy.
• There is a nine-speaker custom-tuned Harman Kardon sound system available, too.
• A wireless phone charging pad is also present.
• The driver gets a 360-degree surround-view camera for tight parking spots.
• The cabin is further equipped with automatic climate control and rear AC vents.
• Finally, there is a cooled glovebox to keep your drinks chilled on road trips.

The Mahindra Thar Roxx kicks off at a highly competitive Rs. 12.39 lakh for the base MX1 RWD petrol manual, and as you climb the variant ladder, prices cross Rs. 22.25 lakh for the fully-loaded AX7L 4WD Diesel AT. This wide price bracket of almost Rs. 10.00 lakh means there is a different Roxx available for every budget along with a Star Edition (special edition launched in 2026) for exclusivity.

Ex-Showroom Prices (India)

While being a heavy, body-on-frame SUV, the Mahindra Thar Roxx surprisingly delivers some acceptable mileage numbers. The diesel engines win the topic of mileage uncontested with their low running costs and long-distance touring capabilities.

In the real world, the diesel consistently returns between 13 and 15 kmpl on mixed runs, while the petrol engine is significantly thirstier. With an ARAI rating of 12.4 kmpl, real-world city driving drops fuel efficiency as low as single digits.  Stop-and-go traffic will return around 10 to 12 kmpl in the petrol setup, but steady highway cruising can slightly nudge it back up to around 13.5 kmpl.

Observed Fuel Efficiency During Testing

The Mahindra Thar Roxx is a highly safe vehicle since it has all the required safety ratings that Indian regulations want a vehicle to have. Notably, it’s the first body-on-frame SUV to pull off a five-star Bharat NCAP rating, also achieving the highest overall score for any ICE vehicle tested at the time of the results.
Girish points out,

“It might lose a tiny bit of that ‘personal’ rebel vibe of the three-door, but it gains massive appeal in the safety department as a legitimate everyday SUV.”

Passive Safety and Crash Protection

Built on a stiffened chassis, the Roxx feels like an absolute tank. Standard passive safety equipment includes six airbags, three-point seatbelts for all passengers, ISOFIX child seat mounts, and pretensioners with force limiters for the front seats. The five-star Bharat NCAP safety rating we already mentioned registered 31.09/32 for adult and 45/49 for child safety.

Active Safety and Stability Systems

The Thar Roxx has a lot of active safety tech with features like Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control, ABS with EBD, and Brake Assist. Higher variants get a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and a comprehensive Level 2 ADAS suite, stacked with additional elements like Automatic Emergency Braking, forward collision warning, and Adaptive Cruise Control.

Safety Verdict

Overall, Mahindra has left no stone unturned, making the Thar Roxx one of the safest body-on-frame SUVs you can buy in India, as we generally see from the brand’s lineup.

Technology has taken a massive leap inside the Mahindra Thar Roxx, changing the vehicle from a bare-bones off-roader to a genuinely premium lifestyle vehicle.

Infotainment and Interface

• Twin 10.25-inch high-definition screens sit comfortably on the dashboard. One’s for the infotainment system, and the other for the fully digital driver’s display.
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on higher trims, connected to the Adrenox car suite.
• A custom-tuned nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with QuantumLogic Surround technology has been assembled inside the cabin, delivering impressive audio clarity.

Cabin Convenience and Practical Features

• There is a massive panoramic sunroof that increases the sense of space for the passengers.
• Front-row occupants get ventilated seats, while the driver enjoys an electronically powered seat.
• The Level 2 ADAS has 10 key features, two of them including adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree surround-view camera with a blind-spot monitor.
• There is also an electronic parking brake with auto-hold and an acoustic windshield.

 Unlike its three-door sibling, the Mahindra Thar Roxx stands out with more practicality in this regard. It has a very usable 447 litres of boot space, which easily swallows weekend luggage for a family of four. The load bay is wide and fairly squared off, meaning you can put larger suitcases into it alongside soft duffel bags. But if you need more room, folding the rear seats will further increase the capacity to a generous 644 litres. This is nearly triple that of the three-door model. And finally, the split tailgate design, with its swing-out lower door and flip-up rear glass, completes the touch of classic utility when loading lighter items.

Sitting atop a ladder-frame chassis with WATT’s Link suspension, Frequency Dependent Damping, and Hydraulic Rebound Stoppers, the Mahindra Thar Roxx pulls off both off-roading and urban strolls.

City Driving

The light electric power steering makes moving this large SUV around traffic surprisingly effortless. The six-speed Aisin torque converter automatic is incredibly smooth. While the low-speed crawls are consistent, the ride can feel lumpy over sharp urban potholes due to the ladder-frame architecture.

Highway Driving

High-speed stability outperforms the older three-door model; it stays planted even at triple digits. While body roll is present during corners because of its tall stance, the refined engines are meant for confident, linear overtaking. But do not expect the entirely flat ride of a monocoque crossover, however.

Off-Road Driving

Off-roading is what the Mahindra Thar Roxx does best. 

It has segment-first Crawl Smart Assist and IntelliTurn to conquer tight, technical trails and with 226 mm of ground clearance, a 650 mm water wading depth, and 4XPLOR terrain modes (Snow, Sand, Mud), it bulldozes over rough terrain.

Girish observes,
“On the road, the refinement is startling. The new suspension setup has significantly reduced the "bounce" typical of ladder-frame SUVs, making it feel surprisingly close to a monocoque SUV like the XUV700 in terms of stability.”

There are five variants of the Mahindra Thar Roxx. While all of them have almost the same safety suite, they can be differentiated according to prices, engine setup, and some key features.

While the MX1 gives you six airbags as standard, it would be wise not to ignore the higher trims either, such as the AX5L, which raises the bar with Level 2 ADAS. The table below explains for whom each variant is meant to be attractive.

The Essentials That You Don’t Get

• Four-wheel drive is only on the diesel variants; petrol models are rear-wheel drive only.
• Third-row seating is completely absent.
• The vehicle misses out on telescopic steering adjustment, meaning drivers can only adjust the wheel for rake.
• You don’t benefit from a fully flat ride quality like monocoque SUVs.

With a vast variant list, narrowing down the right Thar Roxx depends entirely on how you plan to use the vehicle and what your ultimate driving goals are.

For Urban Commute: MX3 Petrol Automatic

If you mainly drive within city limits and only care about commanding road presence, the MX3 Petrol AT is perfect. It has a smooth powertrain and all the essential modern features.

For Feature-Conscious Families: AX7L Diesel RWD Automatic

For highway trips and daily family duties, the AX7L RWD will excite. You get the panoramic sunroof, ADAS, and ventilated seats, and the torquey, efficient diesel motor.

For Hardcore Adventurers: AX7L Diesel 4WD Automatic

If you plan to push the vehicle to its maximum limits, do not hesitate with the top variant. The 4WD system also has IntelliTurn, electronic locking differentials, and terrain modes, making this an unstoppable force on the trails.