The Mahindra Thar 5-door Will Have One BIG Similarity To Scorpio N

Mahindra has already begun road testing the more practical Thar 5-door, which is expected to arrive sometime in 2023. And while we have a detailed rundown of how it looks, a recent spyshot has given us a fair bit of technical insight. A closer look at the rear axle reveals the rear suspension setup is identical to the Scorpio N: that is the presence of the Pentalink (five) rear suspension with Watt’s link. The three-door model, in contrast, just has a multi-link rear suspension setup.  

The main advantage of this particular suspension is better on-road ride and handling manners, especially on undulated sections of the roads as it prevents lateral movement. Body-on-frame vehicles like the Thar with higher ground clearance are subjected to body roll and a ride that’s on the bouncier side. With the suspension upgrades, the 5-door Thar should offer improved ride quality in comparison. 

Scorpio N rear suspension setup for reference

To have a detailed overview of how a Pentalink suspension works, you can hear it from R Velusamy, senior VP, Mahindra Rise, who gives a detailed rundown of this tech in the Scorpio N unveil:

Swipe to 55:37

The Scorpio N has this particular piece of technology, and here’s our take when it comes to ride and handling, “For a big ladder-frame SUV it is incredibly well mannered. It doesn't bob or bounce uncontrollably. Just like when you hustle it into a corner, you'll find that it rolls just a bit and remains admirably composed for this format of a vehicle. So the Scorpio N will feel comfortable at low speeds, gobble up bumps and speed breakers at city speeds, cruise confidently on the highway, and will feel at home on broken roads too.” 

As you can see, the Scorpio N’s handling is significantly better than its predecessor, which is known to be like a boat. Considering that the 5-door Thar will boast majority of its underpinning with the Scorpio N, it’s likely to boast similar ride and handling manners too. But the Thar, being more off-road centric, could sport some changes. For more insight, read our in-depth first drive review of the Scorpio N.  

Note: Rendered image

The Mahindra Thar 5-door is likely to have a starting price of around Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom).  It will get the same 2-litre turbo-petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines from the smaller SUV, albeit with probably more power. Mahindra’s upcoming SUV will lock horns with the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Jimny 5-door and Force Gurkha 5-door.