The much-awaited Thar facelift is now on sale, bringing minor exterior refreshes, several new interior upgrades and a familiar set of powertrains. The Mahindra SUV continues to compete with the Maruti Suzuki Jimny and Force Gurkha 3-door in the relatively niche mass-market off-roader segment. Let’s look at how the changes and improvements in the Thar facelift help the model take on its rivals.
2025 Mahindra Thar facelift vs rivals: Dimensions
Thar and Jimny are longest, but Gurkha is the widest and tallest.
| 2025 Mahindra Thar vs Maruti Jimny vs Force Gurkha 3-door dimensions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Thar | Jimny | Gurkha 3-door | |
| Length (mm) | 3,985 | 3,985 | 3,965 |
| Width (mm) | 1,820 | 1,645 | 1,865 |
| Height (mm) | 1,855 | 1,720 | 2,080 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2,450 | 2,590 | 2,400 |
| Ground clearance (mm) | 226 | 210 | 233 |
| Wheel size (inches) | 16-18 | 15 | 18 |
All three models trade punches in the size department. At 3,985mm, the Thar and Jimny are longer than the Gurkha 3-door, with the Jimny’s wheelbase being the longest, not surprising considering it is available in 5-door form only. However, the Maruti off-roader is also the narrowest and shortest one here, with the Gurkha clawing back points in width and height.
Jimny has the lowest ground clearance.
The Gurkha rides the highest off the ground here, but the Thar isn’t too far off with its 226mm clearance. Both of them also get 18-inch wheels – the Thar gets them in its LXT variants – whereas the Jimny comes with 15-inchers only.
2025 Mahindra Thar facelift vs rivals: Engine and gearbox
Thar offers thrice as many engine options as Jimny and Gurkha.
While the Jimny and Gurkha come with just one engine type, Mahindra offers the Thar with three options. The entry-level Thar AXT variant packs a 119hp, 1.5-litre turbo-diesel mill, and the higher LXT variants are available with a 132hp, 2.2-litre turbo-diesel or a 152hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol mill.
| 2025 Mahindra Thar vs Maruti Jimny vs Force Gurkha 3-door powertrains | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Thar | Jimny | Gurkha | |
| Engine | 1.5-litre, 4 cyls, turbo-diesel / 2.2-litre, 4 cyls, turbo-diesel / 2.0-litre, 4 cyls, turbo-petrol | 1.5-litre, 4 cyls, petrol | 2.6-litre, 4 cyls, turbo-diesel |
| Power (hp) | 119 / 132 / 152 | 104.8 | 140 |
| Torque (Nm) | 300 / 300 / 300-320 (AT) | 134.2 | 320 |
| Gearbox | 6-speed manual / 6-speed manual, 6-speed torque converter | 5-speed manual, 4-speed torque converter | 5-speed manual |
| Drive layout | RWD / RWD, 4x4 | 4x4 | 4x4 |
Despite the Force off-roader boasting a larger 2.6-litre diesel engine, it makes less power than two of the Thar mills but has slightly higher torque. The Jimny’s 105hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine is the weakest here by a fair margin.
Both Jimny and Gurkha get 4x4 as standard, while Thar offers RWD too.
As for transmissions, the stronger Thar engines can be had with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox, paired with RWD or 4x4; the 1.5-litre diesel is mated to a 6-speed manual with RWD. The Jimny offers 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic options with 4x4 as standard, whereas the Gurkha has a 5-speed manual gearbox with 4x4.
2025 Mahindra Thar facelift vs rivals: Price
Entry-level Thar variants are up to Rs 5.96 lakh more affordable than rivals.
When it comes to base variants, the Thar facelift is the indisputable winner. Prices for the facelifted Thar start at Rs 9.99 lakh, which is Rs 2.33 lakh more affordable than the base Jimny trim and a whopping Rs 5.96 lakh lower than the Gurkha’s sole variant.
| 2025 Mahindra Thar vs Maruti Jimny vs Force Gurkha 3-door prices | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Thar | Jimny | Gurkha | |
| Price range (Rs, lakh) | 9.99-16.99 | 12.32-14.45 | 15.95 |
Coming to the top-spec versions, the Thar LXT Diesel 4WD AT variant is the most expensive here at Rs 16.99 lakh – pricier by Rs 1.04 lakh than the Gurkha and Rs 2.54 lakh than the Jimny Alpha AT.
All prices are ex-showroom, India.
