5 Door Mahindra Thar Roxx vs Jeep Wrangler: Battle Of The Off-roaders!

The top-spec rear-wheel-drive Thar Roxx is more than Rs 50 lakh more affordable than the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited model

The Mahindra Thar Roxx has been launched in India as a five-door (and hence more spacious) counterpart to the Thar 3-door. People on social media say that adding two more doors and the styling tweaks now makes it look similar to a premium offroader - the Jeep Wrangler. So, let us find out how the Thar Roxx looks on paper against the more premium Jeep Wrangler. Let us find out.

Exterior

Starting with the front, the Mahindra Thar Roxx gets LED headlights and C-shaped LED DRLs. The bumper gets silver elements and the fog lights are also LED units. The grille gets a 6-slat design divided in the centre by a horizontal slat. The indicators, now LEDs, are placed beside the headlights over the wheel well. On the side, it now has an elongated length over the standard Thar and features a blacked-out roof. There are 19-inch alloys and the rear door handles are placed on the C-pillar which is a triangular unit. At the rear, the Thar Roxx gets a rectangular LED tail light in a rectangular housing and a tailgate-mounted spare wheel.

On the other hand, the Wrangler also gets circular LED headlights with LED DRLs. It gets a 6-slat grille that looks intimidating and commands good road presence. Like the Thar Roxx, the indicators are placed beside the headlights over the wheel well, but they are sleeker units and double up as DRLs as well. On the side, the Wrangler also has two rear doors, a boxy silhouette and a blacked-out roof. However, the C-pillar does not have a triangular design. At the rear, it also gets rectangular LED tail lights with its own unique signature and a tailgate-mounted spare wheel.

Dimensions

There is no comparison here as the Jeep Wrangler is the taller, wider and longer off-roader out of the two. The Wrangler also sits on a wheelbase that is 157 mm longer than the Thar Roxx. Detailed dimensions of both the models have been mentioned in this table below: 

Off-road Specifications

As we can see from the table, the Jeep Wrangler reigns supreme by having a much better approach and departure angle than the Thar Roxx. However, the Thar Roxx has an upper hand with the breakover angle.  The Jeep also provides 214 mm more water-wading capacity than the new Mahindra offroader.

As for off-road features, the Mahindra Thar Roxx gets an electronically-actuated rear differential and a brake-locking differential. It also gets three terrain modes: Mud, Sand and Snow. The Jeep, on the other hand, gets both front and rear locking differentials and a full-time four-wheel-drive setup. Both models also come with hill descent control. 

Interior

The Mahindra Thar Roxx gets a dual-tone black and beige cabin. It gets two 10.25-inch displays (one for the driver’s display and the other for the touchscreen). Additionally, it comes with auto AC with rear vents and a wireless phone charger. There are two separate centre armrests for the front passengers. The seats are draped in white upholstery and while they look premium, keeping it clean, especially during off-road sessions can be tough. The front seats have a ventilation function, while the driver’s seat can be electronically adjusted. The rear seats feature a centre armrest, three-point seatbelts and headrests for all passengers.

The Jeep Wrangler gets a blacked-out cabin with a 12.3-inch touchscreen. The darker theme of the Wrangler is clearly easier to maintain while taking it off-road. The driver gets analogue dials for the speedometer and the tachometer and between them is a 7-inch coloured multi-info display. There is a single centre armrest which comes with a storage space. The seats are clad in black leather upholstery and the front seats get both heating and electronic adjustment. The rear seats get headrests and 3-point seatbelts for all passengers. A rear centre armrest with cupholders has also been provided.

Features

• On the exterior front, both cars get all-LED lights, however, the Jeep Wrangler goes a step further and gets rear fog lights. The Thar Roxx gets 19-inch alloy wheels while the Wrangler, on the other hand, gets 18-inch alloys.

• The Thar Roxx has a dual-tone black and beige interior that gets a leatherette treatment, whereas the Wrangler has an all-black cabin with leather inserts on trims.

• In terms of convenience features, the Thar Roxx is slightly ahead of the Wrangler by providing features like a fully digital driver’s display, a cooled glovebox and a wireless phone charger. The Jeep however provides a dual-zone AC which is missing on the Thar Roxx.

• The Wrangler gets a bigger infotainment system than the new Mahindra 5-door SUV.

• In terms of safety, both cars get 6 airbags and an ADAS suite with features like adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist. The other safety features are similar too.

Powertrain

*RWD: Rear-Wheel-Drive/4WD - Four-Wheel-Drive

^AT: Torque Converter Automatic Transmission

The Mahindra Thar Roxx comes with two engine options- a turbo-petrol and a diesel, while the Jeep Wrangler comes with only a turbo-petrol engine. Comparing the two petrol engines, the Jeep Wrangler produces up to 93 PS and 20 Nm more than the 5-door Thar Roxx. But do note that the petrol-powered Thar Roxx can only be had with rear-wheel drive. If you want a Thar Roxx with four-wheel drive, you have no other choice but to opt for the diesel variants. 

Prices

* Prices of only the RWD variants of the Mahindra Thar Roxx have been unveiled. 

All prices are ex-showroom, pan-India

Talking about the prices, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (priced at Rs 67.65 lakh) has an ask of Rs 51.16 lakh more than the Mahindra Thar Roxx’s top-spec RWD variant. Do keep in mind that Mahindra is yet to announce the pricing of four-wheel drive variants for the Thar Roxx, so the top-end pricing will go up even higher. That said, doing the math with current prices, it turns out that the price difference can easily suffice for two RWD Thar Roxx.

Do you think the Mahindra Thar Roxx can take the fight up to the Jeep Wrangler, considering the latter is more feature-loaded and has a more powerful engine? Tell us in the comments below.

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