Mahindra Thar Roxx Diesel MT Review: The 5-door SUV to Buy?

Mahindra’s Thar has always been an off-road beast when it comes to budget SUVs. A rugged body, boxy design and capable 4×4 system make it the perfect set of wheels for conquering trails. It has become so popular that you spot them regularly on roads. However, it has not been the most spacious or practical offering for daily use. Thus, we have the Thar Roxx, the five-door iteration of the SUV, taking on a more mature role. A role that goes beyond pleasing the rough and rugged individual behind the steering wheel. It now aims to take care of the entire family with its increased interior space and enhanced feature set. How well has Mahindra nailed this new direction? Time to find out! Mahindra Thar Roxx Review: Design & Styling Changes Along with the obvious change in proportions compared to the regular Thar, the Thar Roxx has also seen some cosmetic updates. There is a new six-slat grille, flanked by LED projector headlamps. The grille has garnered a lot of attention online and I must say that I too am on the fence with this one. Neither do I absolutely hate it, nor do I love it. I would love to see Mahindra try something different with future versions of the Roxx for sure. However, the new headlamps, along with the C-shaped DRLs, definitely look smart and the bumper has been reprofiled to make it look sharper. On the side, you will notice the longer length of the SUV. Compared to the three-door version, the Roxx is 443mm longer while the wheelbase has grown by 400mm. The height and width of the SUV have also increased, although that might not be as apparent. You also see shiny, new 19-inch alloy wheels on the sides which look dazzling. The extra pair of doors have been embedded with a high-mounted door handle. Then there is a triangular quarter glass which also looks well integrated. Moving over to the back, you will find a boxy design, a split tailgate and a hidden washer for the glass. The tail lamps have the same rectangular shape as the smaller Thar but the light elements inside have a new layout which looks more contemporary. Overall, I find the Roxx to be a smart and proportionate-looking SUV. The Thar already had a commanding and menacing road presence and the Roxx just takes the game a step ahead. Mahindra Thar Roxx Review: Interior Space & Features Once you get inside, you might have to rub your eyes to make sure that you are seeing the right thing. While very similar to the design of the three-door Thar, the dashboard in the Roxx looks much better. Quality levels are high and the materials used are also better. For instance, you now get a soft touch material on the top section of the dashboard and the doors. There are some piano black and shiny silver surfaces here and there to add a touch of class. Even the leatherette seats add to the feeling of luxury, however, the bright cream-coloured interior will be a cause for concern. It is very easy to get dirty and you will have to be ready with a cleaning cloth at all times. Then you have all the feature additions including the bigger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Adrenox and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. It is complemented by an equally large, fully-coloured digital instrument cluster. If you have been in the XUV700, the interface here will feel very familiar. While there is no dual-zone climate control on offer, the front seats are ventilated. There is even a wireless charger and a pair of USB ports (Type-A and Type-C). This SUV also gets a unique armrest which is split in the middle and the side towards the driver can be slid back and forth for adjustment. It would have been better if both sections could be moved. In terms of storage spaces, there is a compartment underneath the armrest, there is a cooled glove box, two cup holders in the middle and pockets in the doors, although they are not very big. Also read: Mahindra Thar Roxx 5-Door vs 3-door Model: What’s Changed? The second row is very impressive too. I am six feet tall and even after adjusting the driver seat to my preference, there was a good amount of legroom and knee room left in the second row for a person of a similar height. The bright colour of the seats and the roof, combined with a very big panoramic sunroof give the feeling of being in a spacious cabin. The seat cushioning is nice and though it might not have the best under-thigh support in the business, it does come with a recline function. You can either recline it all the way back for maximum comfort or have it more upright to slightly increase the room in the luggage compartment. The floor is flat throughout and the bench can either house a third passenger in the middle or you can have an armrest pop out instead. Since the rear doors open at a nice 90-degree angle, getting in and out is very easy. You also get AC vents for the second row and just below them is a single USB Type-C charging port along with a cavity to hold your smartphone. I only wish that the doors had a bigger pocket to at least hold a one-litre bottle. Right now, you can barely fit anything in them.  Thanks to the extended dimensions, you now get a much larger boot volume, one that you can actually use on a daily basis. The tailgate has a split design which definitely gets the Roxx some extra points for looking rather cool. If you still think that the 644-litre boot is not enough, you can drop the second row bench which has a 60:40 split. I am thoroughly impressed by the space, equipment and quality levels of the Thar Roxx. It no longer feels like a utilitarian SUV. Mahindra Thar Roxx Review: Engine Options & Driving Experience In terms of powertrain options, Mahindra is offering the Thar Roxx with a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol and a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine. These engines can then be paired with either a 6-speed manual or an automatic gearbox. Both engines are further available in two different tunes – a lower output version for the lower trims and a more powerful one for the higher trims. We got to drive the diesel manual model which puts out 150bhp of peak power and 330Nm of peak torque. That makes it 20bhp and 30Nm more than the most powerful diesel engine-powered 3-door Thar. Out on the road, you will feel that it has plenty of grunt for reaching and maintaining triple-digit speeds. Although, not a super fast SUV, the diesel is surprisingly very smooth to drive. Combine that with a silent cabin experience, and you will begin to doubt whether you are actually driving a diesel or petrol. Even the gearbox is very smooth and easy to operate (too effortless perhaps). Where the Roxx lets you down is in the ride quality department. You see, the ladder frame chassis construction and the bouncy suspension result in a less-than-ideal drive on city roads. This setup might be great for tackling gravel, rocks and boulders but city speed breakers and potholes will rock (no pun intended) you about in the cabin. Even when you brake hard, you feel the SUV diving nose first and then rocking about for a few seconds. Similarly, the electronically assisted steering wheel, while very light to use, is a bit vague and you will have to be a bit careful with your inputs. While we did not get to go off-roading properly, we were able to use the 4×4 system on the beach (which was our shoot location). Needless to say, the Thar Roxx had absolutely no trouble finding traction in the sand. It also comes with an electronic locking rear differential that should come in handy in more tricky conditions. Mahinda has introduced two new off-road-focused features in the Roxx – SmartCrawl and Intelliturn. Smart Crawl can be used in low-speed off-road scenarios as it adjusts the throttle inputs as per the obstacles on the way. The Intelliturn feature will come in handy when trying to make a turn in a tight space. It locks the front inside wheel, if you are going slow enough, to provide a tighter turning radius.  I should also mention that the Thar Roxx has been equipped with cameras and radars. So, you get a 360-degree camera that makes parking this SUV easier. It also has an option to make the vehicle disappear so that you can see the obstacles underneath the SUV as well. You also get 10 Level 2 ADAS features including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, emergency braking and more. I did notice that the ADAS functions need a bit more refining as the emergency braking tends to kick in too prematurely. Mahindra Thar Roxx Review: Price & Verdict My biggest takeaway after experiencing the Thar Roxx was that Mahindra has managed to take the right approach towards building a family-friendly SUV. Most manufacturers take FWD vehicles with little to no off-roading prowess, despite having the silhouette of an SUV. Mahindra has tackled the task from the opposite direction – they had a capable 4×4 SUV and they stretched it a bit and installed a few creature comforts to give us the Thar Roxx. Yes, the formula is not yet perfect, as is evidenced by the less-than-ideal ride on city roads. However, it manages to combine the persona of an action star and a caring father in one rather convincingly for the most part. Also read: Mahindra Thar Roxx MX1, MX3, AX3 L, MX5, AX5 L, AX7 Variants Explained: What’s Different? Talking about the prices, we do not yet know what the 4×4 models will cost as Mahindra has only revealed prices for the RWD models. The base price of Rs 12.99 lakh (ex-showroom) definitely looks attractive, especially when you consider that it has a lot of kit. I suspect that the full-fledged Roxx might near the Rs 22-23 lakh mark which is definitely a lot of money. However, Mahindra is giving you a lot in return as well.  Engine: 2184 CC / Four-cylinder / Turbocharged Fuel: Diesel Transmission: 6-speed Manual / All-wheel-drive Power: 150bhp @ 3,750rpm Torque: 330Nm @ 1,500-3,000rpm X-Factor: An SUV that successfully combines off-road capability and interior comfort in one. Pros           •  Useable boot space • Interior quality • NVH levels Cons• Bouncy ride • ADAS calibration