Mahindra and Mahindra have been testing the 5-door version of the Thar for quite some time now. The new SUV is expected to go on sale later this year. The latest spy shots show that Mahindra will be making a few cosmetic tweaks to the 5-door Thar. This will help in distinguishing the 5-door version from the 3-door model. The latest spy shots show that the Thar 5-door will use a new set of alloy wheels that are larger than the Thar 3-door’s. For reference, the Thar 3-door uses 18-inch units whereas the 5-door Thar will use 19-inch ones with a diamond-cut finish.
Apart from the alloy wheels, there are other changes to the Thar 5-door. The headlamps will now be LEDS, and there will be new LED Daytime Running Lamps as well. The rear tail lamp units are also new now and have redesigned LED elements. Then there is the front grille, which has been tweaked, and now the door handles of the rear doors are placed on the C-pillar.
The interior layout will mostly stay the same but will now get a few updates. For instance, the steering wheel will be carried from the XUV700. The biggest change to the dashboard will be the new infotainment system that will be carried forward from XUV400 but will miss out on a few EV-related features. The new infotainment system is larger than the current one and runs on a newer user interface. It will support wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The 5-door Thar was also spotted doing high-altitude testing recently in Landour. Automobile manufacturers often test their vehicles in all kinds of environments. A part of this test is conducted at high altitudes. This is to ensure that the vehicle is trouble-free in all kinds of environments and the consumer does not face any issues. Sometimes, the vehicles do face issues once the vehicle is out in the market, and the manufacturers have to fix them using an ECU upgrade or by making small mechanical changes.
The 5-door Thar will be powered by the same 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine and 2.2-litre diesel engine. The SUV is expected to be launched in the market soon and is anticipated to make waves in the segment.
