Mahindra & Mahindra has officially launched the Thar OG in India with an introductory starting price of ₹10.32 lakh (ex-showroom). The thoroughly updated three-door lifestyle SUV introduces a brand-new platform, sophisticated multi-link suspension, revised powertrains, and significant active and passive safety enhancements to address long-standing daily drivability concerns.
Succeeding the generation that sparked a lifestyle off-roader revolution in 2020 and crossed over 400,000 sales, the Thar OG aims to balance authentic trail capability with vastly improved highway manners and everyday urban comfort.
What Is New on the Mahindra Thar OG?
While the recognizable three-door silhouette remains intact, the Thar OG is fundamentally changed beneath the sheet metal. The biggest architectural leap is the shift to Mahindra's M_Glyde 4G platform, engineered with higher torsional stiffness to reduce body flex across severe terrain and asphalt alike.
To fix the bouncy, utilitarian highway ride of its predecessor, Mahindra has discarded the older rear setup in favor of a PENTALINK rear suspension featuring a Watts Link. This works alongside DAVINCI Damping technology with Frequency Dependent Damping (FDD), designed to isolate sharp road imperfections while keeping body roll in check.
The hydraulic steering has also been replaced with an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system, dramatically reducing low-speed steering effort for city driving. Visually, the Thar OG stands apart with a bold new front grille, circular LED headlights with C-shaped DRLs, ice-cube LED fog lamps with cornering capability, updated front and rear bumpers, a wider track, and newly styled R19 alloy wheels.
Key Features and Cabin Technology
Inside, the Thar OG moves noticeably upmarket with a Truffle Brown interior theme, soft-touch materials, and embossed leatherette upholstery on higher trims. Practicality upgrades address key consumer feedback, adding a push-button start system, an internally opening fuel lid, rear air-conditioning vents, and a soft rear armrest with cupholders integrated into the wheel arches.
The cockpit features a 26.03 cm (10.25-inch) HD touchscreen infotainment system running Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Adventure Statistics Gen II. Off-road purists also retain a washable cabin floor with dedicated drain plugs on four-wheel-drive models.
- Digital Tech: 26.03 cm HD central touchscreen with navigation and Adventure Statistics
- Convenience Upgrades: Push-button engine start, wireless phone charger, and remote fuel lid release
- Passenger Comfort: Dedicated rear AC vents and sculpted rear armrests with cup storage
- Chassis Hardware: Electronic Locking Differential (ELD) replacing mechanical lockers on 4WD trims
- Terrain Management: Selectable Terrain Modes (Mud, Sand, Snow) on 4WD, plus Terrain Assist on rear-wheel-drive petrol and 2.2L diesel models
- Safety Suite: Up to 6 airbags, including 4 Head Pelvis Thorax Shoulder (HPTS) side airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, front parking sensors, and ESP 9.3 with rollover mitigation
Powertrains and Mechanical Specifications
Mahindra offers the Thar OG with three engine configurations, bringing modest output bumps to the larger petrol and diesel engines.
The 2.0-liter G20 TGDi mStallion turbo-petrol now produces 119 kW (approximately 162 PS) and 330 Nm of torque. The larger 2.2-liter D22 mHawk turbo-diesel delivers 111.9 kW (approximately 152 PS) and 330 Nm. Both engines can be paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic, available in both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive configurations.
The entry-level rear-wheel-drive option continues with the D117 CRDe 1.5-liter diesel engine, producing an unchanged 87.2 kW (around 118.5 PS) and 300 Nm of torque, available exclusively with a 6-speed manual transmission.
- G20 mStallion Turbo-Petrol: 119 kW (162 PS) / 330 Nm, 6MT or 6AT, RWD & 4WD
- D22 mHawk Turbo-Diesel: 111.9 kW (152 PS) / 330 Nm, 6MT or 6AT, RWD & 4WD
- D117 CRDe Turbo-Diesel: 87.2 kW (118.5 PS) / 300 Nm, 6MT, RWD only
- Platform: M_Glyde 4G ladder chassis
- Suspension: Front independent; Rear PENTALINK with Watts Link and DAVINCI FDD dampers
- Steering: Electric Power Steering (EPS)
- Braking: All-wheel disc brakes on ZXT; Front disc and rear drum on AXT/LXT
- Wheel Sizes: R18 steel (AXT), R18 alloy (LXT), R19 alloy (ZXT)
Price and Variants
The Thar OG lineup is structured across three trim levels: AXT, LXT, and the range-topping ZXT. The introductory ex-showroom prices remain valid for deliveries completed on or before November 30, 2026.
- D117 CRDe Diesel RWD MT: AXT at ₹10.32 Lakh | LXT at ₹12.99 Lakh | ZXT at ₹13.99 Lakh
- D22 mHawk Diesel RWD AT: LXT at ₹16.49 Lakh | ZXT at ₹17.49 Lakh
- D22 mHawk Diesel 4WD MT: LXT at ₹16.43 Lakh | ZXT at ₹17.49 Lakh
- D22 mHawk Diesel 4WD AT: LXT at ₹18.00 Lakh | ZXT at ₹18.99 Lakh
- G20 TGDi Petrol RWD AT: LXT at ₹14.77 Lakh | ZXT at ₹16.09 Lakh
- G20 TGDi Petrol 4WD MT: LXT at ₹15.60 Lakh | ZXT at ₹16.60 Lakh
- G20 TGDi Petrol 4WD AT: LXT at ₹17.23 Lakh | ZXT at ₹17.75 Lakh
Launch and Availability
Official customer deliveries for the Mahindra Thar OG commence on October 11, 2026. The introductory price pricing window applies through November 30, 2026, after which standard price adjustments are expected. Buyers can choose from eight exterior shades, including two new colorways: Artemis Silver and Jeans Blue.
Why It Matters for Buyers
The original three-door Thar was widely praised for its rugged style and trail capability, but its stiff ride, heavy steering, and sparse rear amenities often limited its role as a primary family vehicle. With electric power steering, a multi-link rear suspension with Watts Link, frequency-selective dampers, and standard safety hardware like 6 airbags and rear AC vents on key trims, the Thar OG directly tackles its predecessors' biggest lifestyle compromises without losing its off-road identity.
What Remains Unknown
While mechanical and equipment specifications are extensive, Mahindra has not revealed official ARAI fuel economy figures for the revised mStallion petrol and mHawk diesel powertrains. Post-introductory price hikes after November 30, 2026, also remain unannounced.
AkulRide Verdict
The Mahindra Thar OG represents an evolutionary update executed with surgical precision. Rather than changing the proportions that buyers love, Mahindra leveraged the engineering platform advances from its newer SUV stable to cure the three-door model's greatest weaknesses. If the on-road ride refinement delivers on its mechanical promise, the Thar OG will remain the undisputed benchmark in India's lifestyle 4x4 segment.
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