The much-awaited Mahindra Thar facelift has gone on sale, bringing minor exterior refreshes, several new interior upgrades, and a familiar set of powertrains. It continues to compete with the Maruti Suzuki Jimny and Force Gurkha 3-door in the relatively niche mass-market off-roader segment. We take a look at how the changes and improvements in the Thar facelift help the updated Mahindra stack up against its rivals.
2025 Mahindra Thar facelift vs rivals dimensions
Thar and Jimny are longest, but Gurkha is 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 off-roaders trade punches in the size department. The Thar and Jimny are the longest overall, with the latter’s wheelbase being the longest too – not surprising considering the Jimny 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 those regards.
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 equipped with 15-inchers only.
2025 Mahindra Thar facelift vs rivals engine and gearbox
Thar offers triple the engine options as Jimny and Gurkha.
Where the Jimny and Gurkha come with just one engine option each, the Thar excels in this regard with two diesel mills and one petrol motor on offer. The entry-level Thar AXT variant gets a sole 119hp, 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine, while the higher LXT trims additionally bring in 132hp, 2.2-litre turbo-diesel and 152hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol powerplants.
| 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, 4×4 | 4×4 | 4×4 |
Despite the Gurkha being powered by a larger 2.6-litre diesel engine, it develops less power than the latter two Thar engines, though the Force off-roader develops slightly more torque. The Jimny’s 105hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine is the weakest here by a fair margin.
Both Jimny and Gurkha get 4×4 as standard, while Thar offers RWD too.
As for transmissions, the stronger Thar engines can be had with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic gearbox, paired with RWD or 4×4, whereas the 1.5-litre diesel only gets a 6-speed manual with RWD. The Jimny offers 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic options with 4×4 as standard, whereas the Gurkha gets a sole 5-speed manual gearbox with 4×4.
2025 Mahindra Thar facelift vs rivals price
Entry-level Thar variants are up to Rs 5.96 lakh cheaper 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 cheaper than the base Jimny trim and a whopping Rs 5.96 lakh more affordable 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 top-spec trims, the Thar LXT Diesel 4WD AT variant is the most expensive here at Rs 16.99 lakh – Rs 1.04 lakh more expensive than the Gurkha and Rs 2.54 lakh pricier than the range-topping Jimny Alpha AT model.
All prices are ex-showroom, India.
Also see:
Mahindra Thar new vs old: Differences and similarities explained
Which 2025 Mahindra Thar facelift variant should you consider buying?
