New 5-door Mahindra Thar Will Share Its Underpinnings With The Scorpio N: Mahindra Product Head

• The Scorpio N uses a heavily revamped version of the same ladder frame chassis from the current Thar.
• The Scorpio N has a stiffer chassis that is also longer and wider.
• The 5-door Thar will most likely be powered by the same powertrain options.
• Expected to launch next year.

With the 5-door Maruti Suzuki Jimny inbound, Mahindra is readying the 5-door version of Thar, which is expected to be launched in 2023. Our brief interaction with Mahindra’s head of Automotive Product Development has given us more insights on the upcoming SUV. The 5-door Thar will be based on the same ladder frame chassis as the new Scorpio N.

Yes, that sounds confusing as we know the Scorpio N is based on the same chassis as the current 3-door Thar, albeit a heavily revamped version. The keyword here is ‘heavily’ as Mahindra has made substantial changes to the chassis in terms of length, width and stiffness. Mahindra doesn’t have a specific chassis code for the same but changes include a wider track and longer wheelbase. But the most important change is the increase in rigidity of the chassis to make the Scorpio N dynamically competent. 

R Velusamy, Senior Vice President, Head - Automotive Product Development, MRV, Mahindra, mentioned that the Thar has a wheel track of 1520mm, while the Scorpio N has a wider track of 1580mm. He also mentioned that there have been many changes to increase the stiffness of the chassis including the use of  81 per cent high strength steel. These changes, along with the addition of pentalink suspension with Watt’s Linkage at the rear, have helped Mahindra achieve their ride and handling target with the new Scorpio. 

Since we have confirmation that the 5-door Thar will spawn on this uprated platform, it is also expected to retain all the ride and handling traits from the Scorpio for good measure. In that regard, we also expect the 5-door Thar to be a well rounded package in terms of ride and handling in comparison to the current 3-door version.

Also read:

• Three-door vs Five-door Mahindra Thar: Poll Results
• Mahindra Scorpio N vs Similarly Priced Monocoque Alternatives: 5 Key Differences Explained
• Suzuki Jimny 5-door Prototype SUV Spotted Testing In Europe

As for the powertrains, Mahindra will most likely stick to the current range – 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines coupled to both automatic and manual gearboxes. Mahindra is unlikely to change these powertrain configurations but it is safe to expect a bump in output figures. At present, the Thar puts out 150PS/300Nm (320Nm in AT) from the 2.0 petrol, and 130PS/300Nm from the 2.2-litre diesel. That said, it remains to be seen if Mahindra will offer the 4WD as standard with the 5-door Thar.