5 Things The Mahindra Thar Offers Over The Maruti Suzuki Jimny

In our earlier report, we have detailed five things the Maruti Suzuki Jimny gets over its immediate rival, the Mahindra Thar. To keep things fair and square, we are doing the vice versa of the same, jotting down what the Thar gets over the Jimny. And while the Maruti Suzuki plays on the features front, the Mahindra SUV’s advantage boils down to the mechanicals and cosmetics. 

So without further ado, here are five things the Thar gets over the Jimny:

Two Diesel Engines 

The biggest advantage of the Thar is the availability of not one, but two diesel engines. You can pick it up with either a 118PS 1.5-litre or a larger 130PS 2.2-litre unit. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, while the latter gets an option of a 6-speed torque converter automatic. In addition to that, you also have the choice of a 152PS 2-litre turbo-petrol engine. 

Rear-wheel-drive Option

Considering that most owners tend to drive this lifestyle off-roader in urban conditions, Mahindra recently introduced a more affordable rear-wheel-drive variant for the SUV. Apart from making the Thar more accessible, it also offers customers choice by offering both rear-wheel and four-wheel-drive options. 

The variant spread, though, could have been complete. For instance, if you want RWD in the diesel, it’s the 1.5-litre diesel engine that gets only the manual. And if you want an automatic, there is no other choice but to pick the 2-litre turbo-petrol. The 2.2-litre diesel engine with manual and automatic is four-wheel drive only. 

Mechanical Locking Rear Differential

Both the SUVs get brake locking differential that applies the brakes to the wheels that have less traction to get you out of sticky situations. But if you are someone looking for serious off-roading prowess, the Thar gets an optional mechanical locking differential in the rear axle that can split power equally to both the wheels on the axles. This system is offered with the four-wheel-drive variants and is much better than brake-locking diffs. 

Multiple Roof Options 

Oh yes, this is another big deciding factor for the Thar. Want that wind-in-your-hair feeling while climbing up a ghat road? You’ve the soft top convertible. And if you don’t fancy this option and want something safer and more cocooned, you’ve the fixed hard top option. In contrast, the Jimny gets only the fixed hard top in India. 

Missing Features In Jimny

The Jimny is definitely loaded to the gills with features, but it misses out on two important ones. First is the tyre-pressure monitoring which would definitely come useful, especially while off-roading or even during on-road usage as it would alert you instantly if there’s a loss in pressure. And secondly, the Maruti lacks height adjustment for the driver’s seat, which would help you find your ideal driving position much easier. The Thar gets both these features. 

These are the five things that the Thar does better than the Jimny. Our review of the Maruti Suzuki Jimny will drop soon; and post that, we’ll be doing a real-world comparison with the Thar. So stay tuned. Meanwhile, to see what the Jimny gets over the Thar, check out this report.