Mahindra Thar would make a great Jimny rival - is it finally on the radar for South Africa?

The second-generation Mahindra Thar is a rugged yet affordable compact SUV, which has been something of a hit in its home market of India. However markets such as South Africa have missed out on it so far.

Since its introduction in 2020, the latest Thar has found more than 250,000 homes in India, and its popularity has surged further since the introduction of the five-door Roxx version in late 2024.

When the latter was launched last year, Mahindra’s head of automotive operations, Rajesh Jejurikar, told Business Today that the company had no immediate plans to export the model to markets outside of India. He said the factory would instead focus on satisfying demand in its home market.

“At this point of time, we are expecting that we are going to be pretty full with meeting domestic requirements for some point of time, so no plans on exports,” Jejurikar told the Indian publication.

However, that could be about to change. Mahindra recently increased production of the Thar in India, with capacity having increased from 6,500 units per month, in November 2024, to around 9,000 at present, Autocar reported.

This comes as rumours circulate about the Thar’s possible South African introduction later this year.

Local Mahindra representatives announced at the recent Nampo show that the company planned to launch another SUV in South Africa this year, but they did not give any further details about this product. Yet given the options currently available in India, the Thar Roxx would appear to be the only viable option for local introduction.

Furthermore, local dealers that we spoke to say they’re expecting the new model to arrive around September this year.

Interestingly, Mahindra was blocked from introducing the three-door Thar from the Australian market in 2021 after Jeep instituted legal action due to the vehicle’s perceived resemblance to the Wrangler. But it is not believed that there are any legal impediments to the vehicle being introduced in South Africa.

What is the Mahindra Thar Roxx?

Although many have labelled it as a potential Suzuki Jimny killer, the Mahindra Thar Roxx is a somewhat bigger vehicle, with an overall length of 4,428mm stretching well beyond the Jimny’s 3,820mm footprint.

However, the Thar Roxx is still relatively compact, given that a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited stretches out at 4,882mm, and its pricing certainly overlaps with the aforementioned Suzuki.

In India, the Thar Roxx costs between 12.99 and 23.39 Lahk (R271,000 to R489,000), while the Jimny 5-door sells for 12.76 to 14.96 Lahk (R266,000 to R313,000). Keep in mind that South African prices would be somewhat higher due to duties and other associated import costs.

Built around Mahindra’s new M-Glyde platform, the Thar Roxx is available with either a 2.2-litre mHawk turbodiesel engine, delivering 128kW and 370Nm, or a 2.0-litre turbopetrol that pushes 130kW and 380Nm.

Power goes to all four wheels through either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox, and the vehicle also features electronically locking differentials and Crawl Smart Assist.

The interior is a far cry from the very basic first-generation Thar models that were sold in South Africa, with the new model featuring 26cm twin screens, 360-degree surround view system and an available Harman Kardon sound system.

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