Mahindra launched the Thar OG in September 2026 with several hardware, styling and safety upgrades over the outgoing model. The Mahindra Thar OG competes with the Maruti Suzuki Jimny and Force Gurkha 3-door in the relatively niche mass-market off-roader segment. Let us look at how the changes and improvements in the Thar OG help the model take on its rivals.
Mahindra Thar OG vs rivals: Dimensions
Thar and Jimny are longest here
All three models trade punches in the size department. The Thar OG and Jimny are longer than the Gurkha 3-door, with the Jimny’s wheelbase being the longest. However, the Maruti off-roader is the narrowest and shortest one here. The Gurkha rides the highest off the ground, followed closely by the Thar OG with its 226mm clearance. Both of them offer 18-inch wheels, though the top-spec Thar OG ZXT trim rides on 19-inch units. The Jimny, on the other hand, comes with 15-inch wheels only.
The Thar OG has a 40-degree approach angle, while the Gurkha and Jimny have 39 degrees and 36 degrees, respectively. The Jimny has the highest departure angle at 46 degrees, followed by the Gurkha at 37 degrees and Thar at 36 degrees. The Gurkha has the best rampover angle at 28 degrees, compared to 26.4 degrees for the Thar and 24 degrees for the Jimny. The Gurkha also has the highest water-wading depth at 700mm, followed by the Thar at 650mm and the Jimny at an estimated 310mm.
Mahindra Thar OG vs rivals: Engine and gearbox
The Mahindra Thar OG offers the widest choice of powertrains here, with three engines, while the Jimny and Gurkha 3-door get only one engine each. Thar's 162hp 2.0-litre petrol is the most powerful here. Its 2.2-litre diesel engine makes the highest torque output here.
The stronger turbo-petrol and diesel engines of the Thar OG can be had with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox. These also offer the choice between rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive (4WD) layouts. Whereas, the 1.5-litre diesel engine is available in the rear-wheel drive guise, and transmission duties are handled solely by a 6-speed manual gearbox.
The Jimny offers 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic options with 4WD as standard, whereas the Gurkha has a 5-speed manual gearbox with 4WD.
What community is saying on the Thar (2025-2026)?
Mahindra Thar OG vs rivals: Off-roading features
The Thar OG and Gurkha 3-door both use independent double-wishbone front suspension, while the Jimny gets a 3-link rigid-axle setup at both ends. At the rear, the Thar uses a five-link setup with a Watt’s link, while the Gurkha gets a multi-link setup with a track bar.
In terms of off-road equipment, the Thar has an advantage with terrain modes available in 4WD, a feature that the Jimny and Gurkha do not offer. Both the Thar and Jimny use electronic locking differentials in 4WD, while the Gurkha gets a manual locking differential.
With its September update, the Thar OG also gains Mahindra’s DaVinci dampers, which is standard fitment across the range. The range-topping ZXT trim goes a step further by adding frequency dependent damping (FDD) to this setup.
Mahindra Thar OG vs rivals: Price
When it comes to base trims, the Thar OG is the indisputable winner. Prices start at Rs 10.32 lakh with the Thar OG AXT diesel 2WD MT, which is Rs 2.27 lakh more affordable than the base-spec Jimny Zeta Pro MT and a whopping Rs 5.94 lakh lower than the Gurkha (sold in one trim only).
Coming to the top trims, the Thar OG ZXT diesel 4WD AT trim is the most expensive here at Rs 17.75 lakh, pricier by Rs 1.49 lakh than the Gurkha and Rs 3.23 lakh than the Jimny Alpha AT.
All prices are ex-showroom, India.
Dipan Sur
Glenn Noronha
