Mahindra aims to shake up the compact SUV segment with the launch of the five-door Thar Roxx on August 15. The SUV with its additional two doors compared to the three-door SUV has addressed one of its biggest drawbacks against rivals such as Maruti Suzuki Jimny or the Force Gurkha SUVs. However, the Thar Roxx offers much more than just the two doors in its new avatar and is capable to make its rivals run for their money. Aiming to become more of a lifestyle vehicle than just an off-road SUV, both Thar Roxx and Jimny can put buyers in a dilemma.

Here is a quick comparison between the Mahindra Thar Roxx and Maruti Suzuki Jimny which is aimed to help buyers to figure out which one offers better value for money for daily commutes and long weekend drives.

Mahindra Thar Roxx vs Maruti Jimny: Space and comfort

One of the key reasons why both SUVs are offered with proper second row seating is to present themselves more as family SUVs than an adventurist's delight. In this aspect, space and comfort become two of the most crucial parameters.

The Thar Roxx has grown in size compared to the standard Thar offering more space. It stands 4,428 mm in length, 1,870 mm in width and 1,923mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,850 mm. While it has a grand road presence, it might be a challenge to tackle narrow roads or fit in tight parking spots.

The increase in dimension has opened up more space for Mahindra to make room inside the Thar Roxx. It not only gets two additional doors, but adds a proper second row seating. While the second row seats are comfortable with three headrests on offer, they lack under-thigh support for tall passengers. However, it can be reclined to offer more comfort on longer journey.

Compared to the Thar Roxx, the Jimny has a much smaller road presence. The SUV measures 3,820 mm in length, 1,645 mm in width and 1,720 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,590 mm. Despite smaller size, the Jimny could be a practical option for those tackling heavy city traffic, narrow lanes or small parking spaces.

Unlike the Thar Roxx, Maruti Suzuki offers the second row in Jimny without any armrest and misses out on a third headrest. It is ideal for just two average-sized adult occupants. Smaller dimension leads to compromise in under-thigh support as well as head-room inside the Jimny.

What is common between the two SUVs is lack of space for rear passengers to store bottles or other items. The door pockets on either side in both SUVs can barely hold anything other than a smartphone. The armrest inside Thar Roxx gets cupholders, but they are unlikely to store water bottles.

In case of a long weekend trip, the Thar Roxx can hold more luggage in the boot space than Jimny. Mahindra has opened up more than 600 litres of space inside Thar Roxx for cargo. The flexibility of folding the rear seats can open up the boot space further. The Jimny on the other hand offers boot space of 211 litres which can go up to 332 litres if the backseats are folded.

Mahindra Thar Roxx vs Maruti Jimny: Features

When it comes to creature comforts, the new Thar Roxx wins hands down against the Jimny. In fact, the Thar Roxx is loaded enough to even challenge some of the feature-loaded compact SUVs like Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos among others. It gets a massive panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, 9-speaker Harmon Kardon music system and Level 2 ADAS technology for enhanced safety features. The second row passengers get AC vents and USB C-type charging port. It also comes with an adjustable driver armrest, a boon for long trips.

Maruti Suzuki Jimny is far less loaded compared to the Thar Roxx. It misses out on features like wireless charger, 360 degree camera among others. The 9-inch infotainment screen is smaller than the 10.25-inch Adrenox infotainment system inside the Thar Roxx. The driver display is also semi-digital compared to a fully-digital unit in its rival.

Mahindra Thar Roxx vs Maruti Jimny: Ground clearance, drive performance

Mahindra is offering Thar Roxx with two engine options – a 2.0-litre turbo petrol and a 2.2-litre turbo diesel unit. The petrol unit churns out 174 bhp of power and 380 Nm of peak torque while the diesel counterpart is slightly less powerful with output of 172 bhp and 370 Nm. Compared to the Thar Roxx, the Jimny comes with only a 1.5-litre petrol engine which can generate 103 bhp of power and 134.2 Nm of peak torque. Both SUVs offer the convenience to choose between manual and automatic transmissions.

When it comes to fuel efficiency, the Jimny offers more than 16 kmpl of mileage compared to about 13 kmpl in Thar Roxx. Mahindra is yet to announce the official fuel efficiency figures of its SUV so far. Expect the 4WD version of the Thar Roxx to offer less than the RWD variants.

Ground clearance becomes an important aspect for those picking a lifestyle SUV. Mahindra has not revealed the ground clearance of the Thar Roxx. However, since the three-door version came with 226 mm of clearance, expect the Thar Roxx to offer similar figures. The Jimny also offer 210 mm of ground clearance. With its shorter wheelbase, it could effectively clear similar--sized obstacles as the Thar Roxx. The Mahindra SUV is better in tackling waterlogged roads or flooded areas with water wading depth of 650 mm, which is around 340 mm more than what Jimny offers. 

Mahindra Thar Roxx vs Maruti Jimny: Prices

Mahindra has aggressively priced the RWD variants of the Thar Roxx SUV. The price of the petrol variants starts from ₹12.99 lakh (ex-showroom) while the price of the diesel variants will come at a premium of at least ₹one lakh. The price of the top-end Thar Roxx RWD is ₹20.49 lakh (ex-showroom). Mahindra is yet to announce the price of the 4WD versions of the SUV which is likely to be revealed on October 3. Compared to the Thar Roxx, the price of the Jimny starts from ₹12.74 lakh (ex-showroom). The top-end variant with Suzuki's AllGrip technology or all-wheel drive system, costs ₹14.95 lakh (ex-showroom). It is priced even less than the third most affordable variant of its rival.

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