Mahindra Thar 5 door to come with 1.5 diesel engine

The Mahindra Thar Armada (Thar 5-door) will go on sale in the coming months and dealer sources tell us that it will get a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine. This is the same engine that is available with the 3-door Thar RWD, and it will serve as the entry-level powerplant in the line-up.

Mahindra Thar Armada powertrain details

The 1.5-litre diesel engine on the Thar 3-door churns out 117hp and 300Nm, but it's yet to be seen if the engine will be offered in the same state of tune. This entry-level engine option with 2WD will help Mahindra position the Thar 5-door squarely at midsize SUV customers who are looking at offerings like the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. The Thar Armada 1.5 diesel will also serve as a 5-seater, more rugged alternative to the Scorpio N.

The Thar Armada’s higher variants will likely use the Scorpio N’s 175hp, 2.2-litre diesel and 203hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol powertrains. The upcoming SUV will be available with both 4WD and 2WD options and will likely offer both manual and automatic transmissions.

Mahindra Thar Armada bookings open unofficially

The brand has not announced commencement of bookings, but some dealers we spoke to are accepting orders with booking amounts ranging from Rs 25,000-50,000 depending on the outlet.

Mahindra Thar Armada expected price, rivals

The Thar Armada will be launched in India in the coming months, and will likely carry a slightly higher price point compared to the Scorpio N. It could be priced from around Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards, which is over Rs 3 lakh higher than the entry-level 3-door Thar 1.5 diesel RWD. The SUV will rival the recently launched Force Gurkha 5-door and the Maruti Jimny.