The Thar, a massive success for the Indian SUV giant Mahindra, crossed the 3,00,000 sales milestone in early September 2025, just five years after the launch of its second-generation model in October 2020. Fuelling this accelerated growth is the popular 5-door Thar Roxx, which has quickly become the dominant version.
- Thar crossed 3 lakh units in sales in early September 2025
- 71,000 units of Thar Roxx sold in under a year
- Thar comprises 15 percent of Mahindra’s SUV sales
The second-generation Thar gained popularity for off-road capability and daily usability with modern features and automatic options, while the 5-door Thar Roxx expanded the audience by offering practicality for families and a mainstream appeal.
The Thar’s edge: Performance and practicality
Thar’s winning formula: Muscle, versatility and mass appeal
At its core, the Thar offers best-in-class performance. Available with powerful diesel and turbo-petrol engines, the Thar boasts power and torque figures that keep it ahead of its direct rivals: the Maruti Suzuki Jimny and Force Gurkha.
| comparison with rivals | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Price Range (ex-showroom, Rs lakhs) | Engine Specifications | USP |
| Mahindra Thar | 10.32-16.61 | 1,497cc diesel (119hp / 300Nm) | 2,184cc diesel (132hp / 300Nm) | 1,997cc turbo-petrol (152hp / 300Nm) | Diesel, petrol, automatic options, convertible top, great off-road ability. |
| Mahindra Thar Roxx | 12.25-22.06 | 2.0 turbo-petrol (177hp / 380Nm) | 2.2diesel(175hp / 377Nm) | Strongest engine options, dual RWD/4WD choice, premium interiors. |
| Maruti Suzuki Jimny | 12.32-14.29 | 1462 cc Petrol (104.8hp / 132Nm) | Lightest, most affordable top-spec 4x4, city-friendly size. |
| Force Gurkha | 16.78-18.42 | 2596cc diesel (140hp / 320Nm) | Most hardcore off-road package (snorkels, locking diffs), best water wading. |
While the Jimny is positioned as the accessible, compact off-roader and the Gurkha appeals to the extreme 4x4 enthusiast, the Thar’s strength lies in its versatility. The 3-door model captured the enthusiast market, but the launch of the Thar Roxx on September 25, 2024, transformed the brand.
Thar Roxx solidifies dominance
Roxx comprised 68 percent of Thar’s sales in first 5 months of FY2026
The Thar Roxx, launched in September 2024, has redefined the brand’s trajectory. With 71,000 units sold in under a year, the Roxx has quickly become the volume driver, and it accounted for 68 percent of the Thar sales in the first five months of FY2026. While the Roxx has reduced demand for the 3-door Thar, its family-friendly positioning has widened the SUV’s audience and taken the fight to rivals, transforming the Thar brand from niche to volume success. It also won Autocar India’s Car of the Year award in just six months.
With a massive price cut of up to Rs 1.33 lakh following the recent GST revision, the Thar Roxx has become even more competitively priced, effectively taking the battle to the heart of the mass-market SUV segment.
The combination of Mahindra’s robust engineering, powerful engines, a choice of RWD and 4WD, and the sheer practicality of the 5-door Roxx is the winning formula that pushed the Thar to its 3,00,000-unit feat.
A cornerstone for Mahindra
Thar emerges as Mahindra’s second bestseller after the Scorpio twins
The Thar has accounted for 15 percent of Mahindra’s SUV volumes since 2020, and it was the company’s second bestseller after the Scorpio twins in April-August 2025.
With up to Rs 1.35 lakh GST-driven price cuts, a facelifted 3-door model in the pipeline and Roxx-led demand, the Thar could scale its next milestone even faster.
Future plan: Vision T leads the way
Mahindra’s Vision T points to a tech-driven Thar future
Mahindra recently unveiled the Vision T, offering a glimpse into the SUV’s electrified and more advanced future. The concept underscores the company’s intent to:
- Expand the Thar portfolio with new body styles and tech-laden variants.
- Electrify the brand, with an EV derivative likely to be part of Mahindra’s Born Electric range.
- Enhance lifestyle positioning, ensuring the Thar remains both a rugged off-roader and a desirable everyday SUV.
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The Vision T signals that Mahindra is not just celebrating the Thar’s past success but actively building its next chapter, one that blends heritage with future-ready technology.
With inputs from Ajit Dalvi
