Mahindra & Mahindra, the leading Indian automotive manufacturer, recently launched the highly anticipated Thar Roxx, anticipating some market overlap with its existing Thar 3-door model. Despite the potential cannibalisation, Mahindra’s Executive Director and CEO of the Auto and Farm Sector, CEO Rajesh Jejurikar, expressed confidence in the company’s preparedness to manage this internal competition.
The Mahindra Thar has been a dominant force in the off-roading segment since the second-generation model was introduced in 2020. In the fiscal year 2024 alone, Mahindra sold 65,246 units of the Thar, averaging over 5,437 units per month, making it the best-selling off-roader in India. The launch of the Thar Roxx on August 14, followed by the announcement of prices for the RWD variants, has added a new dimension to Mahindra’s portfolio. The remaining RWD variant prices were revealed on August 15, while the prices for the 4WD variants are yet to be disclosed.
The Thar Roxx RWD is priced between ₹12.99 lakh and ₹20.49 lakh (ex-showroom), positioning it above the Thar 3-door RWD, which is priced between ₹11.35 lakh and ₹14.10 lakh (ex-showroom), with the top-spec 4WD variant priced at ₹17.60 lakh (ex-showroom). The Thar Roxx offers two engine options: a 2.0-litre TGDI mStallion petrol engine and a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine. The petrol engine is currently available only in RWD, while the diesel engine is offered in both RWD and 4WD configurations.
CEO Rajesh Jejurikar acknowledged that the introduction of the Thar Roxx would likely result in some cannibalisation of the Thar 3-door’s market share. However, Mahindra has taken steps to mitigate this impact. One key decision was not to introduce a 1.5-litre Thar Roxx, thereby allowing the Thar 3-door, which comes with a 1.5-litre diesel engine, to maintain a price point advantage.
The Thar 3-door offers three engine options: a 1.5-litre D117 CRDe diesel (118PS/300Nm), a 2.2-litre mHawk 130 CRDe diesel (132PS/300Nm), and a 2.0-litre mStallion 150 TGDi petrol (152PS/320Nm). These engines are paired with 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic torque converter transmissions, with both RWD and 4WD options available, although the 1.5-litre diesel is exclusively RWD.
Mahindra has a combined production capacity of 9,500 units per month for both the Thar Roxx and the Thar 3-door at its Nashik plant, with some flexibility to adjust production based on demand. CEO Rajesh Jejurikar stated that Mahindra will closely monitor the market response to the Thar Roxx and adjust production strategies if necessary.
Bookings for the Thar Roxx are scheduled to open on October 3, with 4WD prices to be announced before that. CEO Rajesh Jejurikar noted that the percentage of 4WD variants in the Thar Roxx lineup is expected to be lower than in the Thar 3-door, where the split between RWD and 4WD is nearly 50-50. He indicated that Mahindra does not anticipate the 4WD variants to constitute 50% of Thar Roxx sales.
