Mahindra has bagged a hat-trick of sorts in the latest round of the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) crash tests. Three of its SUVs – the Mahindra Thar Roxx, XUV 3XO and the all-electric XUV 400 have all secured five stars, with the Thar Roxx leading the way with the highest adult and child occupant protection scores for any Mahindra yet. The Thar Roxx’s five-star achievement – applicable to all variants of the SUV – is unique in the way that it is the first body-on-frame passenger vehicle to be awarded five stars in the crash tests. The Thar Roxx came agonisingly close to notching up the highest score for adult occupant protection, falling just short of the Tata Punch EV. However, it did register the joint highest child occupant protection score, matching the Punch EV’s performance.
Also Read: Mahindra XUV400 Secures 5-Star Rating In Bharat NCAP Crash Tests
A look at the full test report reveals the Thar Roxx scored 31.09 points out of a total 32 for adult occupant protection. According to the report, in the frontal offset crash test, protection offered to the driver’s and front passenger’s head and neck was good, while protection for the driver’s chest was adequate. The front passenger’s chest had good protection; protection for the driver’s and passenger’s knees was good, and protection for the driver’s tibias and feet was deemed adequate. With this, the Thar Roxx scored 15.09 points out of 16 in the frontal offset crash test. Protection in the side pole impact test, as well as the side deformable barrier impact test was good, which earned the Thar Roxx a full 16 out of 16 points for side impact protection.
Also Read: Mahindra XUV 3XO Awarded 5-Star Bharat NCAP Crash Test Safety Rating
On child occupant protection, the Thar Roxx scored 45 points out of a total 49, which resulted in a five-star rating on this front. In the crash tests, the child seat for the 3-year-old dummy – installed rearward-facing using the ISOFIX anchorages – succeeded in preventing excessive forward movement in the frontal impact test, and provided good protection in the side impact tests. With this, the Thar Roxx earned 24 out of 24 points for dynamic performance, 12 out of 12 points for the child restraint system installation, losing out only on vehicle assessment, with nine points out of a total 13.
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Commenting on the stellar performance of the Thar Roxx as well as the XUV 3XO and XUV 400, R Velusamy, President, Automotive Technology and Product Development, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said, "The 5-star Bharat-NCAP ratings for the Thar ROXX, XUV 3XO, and XUV400 reaffirm our mission to create world-class SUVs that offer both outstanding performance and unmatched safety. From pioneering the introduction of six airbags in 2011 to now leading the charge with multiple 5-star-rated vehicles, we continue to set new benchmarks for safety across all segments."
The Thar Roxx, prices for which range from Rs 12.99 lakh to Rs 22.49 lakh (ex-showroom), features six airbags, three-point seatbelts for all passengers, electronic stability control (ESC) and a seatbelt reminder system across all variants. Higher variants are equipped with additional safety kit, including Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (such as autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring), 360-degree cameras and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
Mahindra recently confirmed that as things stand, waiting periods for the Thar Roxx range from nine to 15 months, depending on the variant, which means waiting times for the five-door SUV presently stretch well into 2026. Mahindra said it received over 1.76 lakh bookings for the Thar Roxx shortly after opening order books. The company aims to ramp up total production capacity of the 3-door Thar and 5-door Thar Roxx to over 11,000 units in 2025.
