Mahindra has commenced road testing an updated Thar 3-Door with test mules now being sited on public roads. While initial images only showed thinly camouflaged test mules of the Thar 3-Door from the rear, new images have now surfaced, previewing the SUV’s updated front-end design.
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The Thar Roxx inspiration is visible right off the bat, replete with the shallower headlamps and wider six-slot grille. The camouflage of the headlamps also suggests that the 3-Door will adopt the projector lights from the Roxx. The fender lights also appear to be slimmer and more streamlined, while the bumper will be a new unit.
Spy shots of the rear of the test mule seen previously showed camouflaging around the taillights and rear bumper, suggesting that the designs for these could be updated as well.
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Moving to the cabin, the test mule clearly looks to get the larger 10.25-inch touchscreen from its larger sibling - up from the current 7-inch unit. The instrument cluster, however, looked to be the older analogue unit from the current Thar. Other smaller details visible include a redesigned floor console with the manual handbrake now positioned on the side of the co-driver and the cup holders sitting alongside the driver seat.
The power window switches were also moved from the centre console to the doors, though interestingly, the unit on the test mule has four power window switches on the driver door – though that is likely only for testing purposes, with the production model likely to get a two-switch control panel. What hasn’t changed is the all black colour scheme, which is expected to continue on the facelifted Thar.
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On the feature front, it remains to be seen what all features Mahindra could pull from the Roxx to offer in the smaller Thar, though we expect Mahindra could sweeten the deal with tech such as a 360-degree camera, six airbags and more. It, however, remains to be seen if the company will add ADAS features to the SUV.
On the powertrain front, Mahindra is unlikely to make any updates to the Thar with the current range of petrol and diesel engines to be carried forward. The lifestyle SUV is currently offered with a single petrol and two diesel engine options, with manual and automatic gearbox options.
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The range starts with a 117 bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine, offered with a 6-speed manual transmission, and is available only in rear-wheel drive spec. A more powerful 130 bhp 2.2-litre diesel mill with 4x4 hardware is available on the top-of-the-line LX trim. This unit is offered with manual and automatic gearbox options. Both diesel engines develop an identical 300 Nm of peak torque. The petrol engine, on the other hand, is a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit good for 150 bhp and 300 Nm (320 Nm in automatic guise) of peak torque. Gearbox options include a 6-speed manual or a torque converter automatic.
