Mahindra Thar Roxx First Drive Review: Taking Challenge To Mid-Size SUVs

Mahindra and Mahindra seems to have built a knack of dropping blockbusters on Independence Day. We flew down to Kochi to witness something special. The stage was set. The SUV that India was waiting for with bated breath has arrived. Meet the Mahindra Thar Roxx - the 5-door avatar of inarguably India's most popular off-roader.

SIZE MATTERS

Thar Roxx carries forward the silhouette of the 3-door Thar, but is obviously bigger and more premium in every sense. The Roxx is 4,428 mm long, measuring 443 mm longer than the latter. It's also wider and taller. The stretching in length has mostly gone towards expanding the wheelbase. A 400 mm increase between the axles provides an extra set of doors and a sizable boot space of 644 litres (up to the roof). Thar Roxx rides on bigger 19-inch (lower trims get 18-inch) alloys, and they are finished differently as well. 

FAMILIAR YET DIFFERENT: DESIGN

The design of Roxx breeds a sense of familiarity. Circular headlamps, albeit LED projectors, exposed hinges on doors, side step, upright A-pillar, chunky wheel arches and spare wheel mounted on side-opening rear door keep the ethos of the ‘Thar' brand intact. What stands different in Roxx though is the 6-slat grille, which definitely will take time to get used to, and the new C-shared LED tail lights on rectangular casing. The roofline, especially B-pillar onwards appears to be an afterthought, oddly protruding out of the silhouette. However, none of these are deal breakers, and will gradually grow on us with time.

LEVEL UP: CABIN AND FEATURES 

Step inside the Thar Roxx, and you will notice the manufacturer has made a serious attempt to turn it into a lifestyle vehicle. Plenty of soft-touch material on the dashboard, new touchscreen and digital instrument cluster, leatherette seats, and lighter yet bigger (EPS) steering offer a fresh look to the cockpit. The usage of white upholstery is dividing opinions as they tend to become dirty quickly. The top-end trims of Thar Roxx have some serious convenience features, which are absent in a few of the mid-size SUVs. A massive panoramic sunroof makes it look airier than usual. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Harman-Kardon speakers, wireless charging, electronic parking brake, cruise control, auto-dimming IRVM, electric ORVMs, and ventilated front seats which are again electrically adjustable, in Roxx, compel me to think why the Thar 3-door gets a half-hearted treatment. Nevertheless, the Thar Roxx is a step up and wholesome features will keep you happy. What's a bit disappointing is the lack of storage space in the cabin. There is a box under the armrest between front passengers. Be it a shallow glove box or puny door pockets, Mahindra seems to have missed a trick in appointing nifty storage spaces in the cabin.

UNDER THE HOOD: ENGINE OPTIONS 

Engine and transmission options are plenty, much like the Thar 3-door. The 1.5-litre engine has been chucked out, and the Roxx gets 2-litre turbo-petrol and 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine options in multiple states of tune. The option of rear-wheel drive is available with the mHawk diesel engine. All the engine configurations have the choice of a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque convertor to go with. We had the opportunity of driving the (4x4) diesel engine, paired to a manual gearbox. The engine generates 152.1 PS and 330 Nm of peak torque. 

COMPACT SUVs, BEWARE: DRIVING IMPRESSION

The diesel engine is surprisingly alive at as low as 1,200 rpm and pulls cleanly to 3,000 rpm, before turning noisy. The engine is tractable and can be leisurely driven at lower speeds in higher gears. When in need, the torque surge is enough to drive you past the traffic. The power build-up is linear and the Thar Roxx can comfortably sail at triple digits. Surprisingly enough, the cabin feels consistent, thanks to significantly lower NVH levels. The travel of the clutch is still pretty long and the springy feel to it will tire you out in stop-and-go traffic. The first gear is short, while the second, third and fourth are relatively longer, allowing you to sit back in the same gear as you potter through slow-moving traffic. Expect around 10 kmpl or less in the cities and 14 kmpl on the highways.

The feeling in the driver's seat is familiar yet so much refined. The seating is tall and the view of the road is commanding. Mechanicals are overhauled. The platform, engineers say, is new. The springs and dampers have been tweaked to accommodate extra weight. On the go, the ride is still bumpy but better than the Thar 3-door by a fair margin. The extended wheelbase and healthier tyres help in the cause. Thar Roxx feels more at ease while rolling over the road undulations, potholes and road joints at higher speeds than slowing down. The rough edges can be felt more at slower speeds. The company is yet to publish the official ground clearance data but in most likelihood, it would read around 220 mm. Even during our drive, Thar Roxx barely faced any speed breaker that could scrap its underbelly. All disc brakes are an optional fitment in Thar Roxx. The anchoring strength is decent, however, the feedback on the pedal is a bit inconsistent. The bite from the brakes often kicks in way past the midpoint of brake lever travel. There is still a good amount of body roll around the corners but Thar Roxx is a whole lot less tiring to drive. The nicely calibrated electric powering steering is light at low speed and gradually weighs up as you drive faster. There is negligible kickback from the steering – a major issue often encountered with the Thar 3-door. 

ALMOST THERE: OFF-ROADING

While no story of Thar can be complete without delving into the terrains less charted, our Freedom Drive with the Roxx had no off-roading in the script. On paper, there is plenty to boast of. Built on a ladder-on frame chassis, the Thar Roxx packs a punch with a low-range transfer case, terrain select mode, electronic locking differential, crawl feature to name a few. Water wading stands at 650 mm. We would like to put these aspects of Thar Roxx to the test in our subsequent reviews.

FAMILY MAN: SAFETY

Six airbags are standard now. Active safety features like electronic stability control, brake force distribution, anti-lock braking, hill hold and descent control, traction control and brake disc wiping are also standard in Thar Roxx. What's also a welcoming update is the suite of level 2 ADAS and improved safety features. Tyre pressure monitoring system and 360-degree view camera are also available with higher trims. The camera output is decent and footage can be internally recorded and stored as well.

WAIT'S OVER: VERDICT 

Mahindra Thar Roxx goes on sale in six trims (MX3, MX5, MX7, AX3L, AX5L and AX7L) and the prices for the rear-wheel drive variants have been revealed. The price ranges between Rs 12.99 lakh and Rs 20.49 lakh (ex-showroom). The 4X4 variants, which will be launched closer to the date of opening of booking (October 3), are expected to go all the way up to Rs 23 lakh (ex-showroom). The Thar Roxx looks promising, drives well and appears more complete than before. While we had a short spin in the Roxx and off-road is untested, we still believe the SUV has immense potential to stir up the market. Mahindra is positioning Thar Roxx as a go-anywhere, lifestyle vehicle, and its competitive pricing is sure to attract customers out for compact SUV shopping.