October 2026 — Mahindra Thar OG Petrol, Diesel Variants Explained — Which One To Buy?

Towards the end of the article, we will also compare the Thar OG’s dimensions, engine specs and off-road specs with other off-roaders such as Maruti Jimny and Force Gurkha. This comparison with the rivals will give you a good idea about how the Thar 2026 stacks up against off-roaders with comparable size and overlapping price tags.

Updated (Oct 19, 2026): This update of the 2026 Mahindra Thar petrol and diesel Variants Explained article includes the latest prices of the updated Thar 2026 variants and features.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Mahindra Thar?

The pros or advantages of Mahindra Thar are:

• Suspension update is the biggest change with 2026 Thar OG as it makes the Thar significantly more stable at speeds of 80 - 120kmph
• The Thar petrol has surprisingly good performance as the 300Nm-strong torque 330Nm torque comes early at 1500rpm and stays put till 3000rpm; Revised after September 2026 Thar OG update
• The wide body offers stability during off-roading and road presence while the short length of under 4m gives it good breakover angle while making it easy to park in small-car spots; With Sep 2026 update, the Thar is now even wider — 50mm wider than before
• With the automatic transmission and a hard top, the Thar has just enough features to become your daily driver without making it too delicate for mud-splashing and rock-crawling; Sep 2026 update adds more convenience features
• With 7 engine-transmission-drivetrain combinations, the Thar OG becomes the only choice for a lot of buyers
• The only off-roader to have an engine, which allows it to enjoy small car tax benefits
• No competition in the petrol-manual, petrol-automatic and diesel-automatic off-road SUV space; Revised after September 2026 Thar OG update
• A solid 4-star GNCAP adult safety rating; No longer valid as GNCAP testing process has changed considerably since then
• The 2.2L turbo diesel engine only costs Rs. 21,000 - 31,000 more than the 2.0L turbo petrol; No longer applicable after the Thar OG 2026 September update; price difference between petrol and diesel variants with similar powertrain-drivetrain combinations is inconsistent and ranges from Rs. 77,000 to Rs. 1.73 lakh
• Iconic design catches eyeballs wherever you go; Not a strong positive any more as Thar popularity makes it quite common on our roads

The Mahindra Thar has the following shortcomings or problems:

• Automatic transmission carries a steep Rs. 1.50 - 1.63 lakh premium in most trims; only the ZXT petrol-automatic 4WD carries a reasonable premium over ZXT petrol-manual 4WD
• Being a 2-door car, access to the second row seats is more difficult than pretty much any 4-door car
• Missing features even in top model such as: power-folding mirrors, telescopic steering, auto AC, auto-dimming inside mirror, sliding front armrest, keyless entry request sensor, 360-degree camera, rear window sunshades, rear armrest, sunroof, electronic parking brake, ventilated front seats, power driver seat, 4+4 parking sensors and paddle shifters
• Extremely poor efficiency, especially with petrol-manual and petrol-automatic powertrains
• Thar’s image problem as it is a favourite of the uncivilized roadies of our society, who drive it recklessly, cause harm to other road users and damage 3rd party property by pushing the vehicle beyond the vehicle’s and their own limits
• The price is fairly high to begin with as it has gone up a lot compared to the previous generation model; With January 2023 update, starting price is not a big concern as the 1.5L diesel-manual RWD variants enjoy the small car tax benefits
• A 2WD version with brake locking differential and a smaller 1.5L turbo diesel engine could make it very affordable while offering similar road presence for those who only want the Thar for road use; Addressed with January 2023 update and launch of 1.5 diesel variants

What Is The Price Of Mahindra Thar Petrol And Diesel Variants?

The Mahindra Thar is available with the following 7 engine-transmission-drivetrain combinations:

• 1.5L turbo diesel-manual RWD: Available in all 3 variants with prices ranging from Rs. 10.32 lakh to Rs. 13.99 lakh (ex-showroom).
• 2.2L turbo diesel-manual 4WD: Available in higher LXT and ZXT variants with an ex-sh price of Rs. 16.43 lakh and Rs. 17.49 lakh, respectively.
• 2.0L turbo petrol-manual 4WD: Available in the same LXT and ZXT variants as the diesel-manual 4WD with ex-sh price of Rs. 15.60 lakh and Rs. 16.60 lakh, respectively.
• 2.2L turbo diesel-automatic 4WD: Available in higher 2 variants — LXT and ZXT — costing Rs. 18.0 lakh and Rs. 18.99 lakh (ex-showroom), respectively.
• 2.2L turbo diesel-automatic RWD: Available in LXT and ZXT variants with prices Rs. 16.49 lakh and Rs. 17.49 lakh, respectively.
• 2.0L turbo petrol-automatic 4WD: Available in top 2 variants with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 17.23 lakh for LXT and Rs. 17.75 lakh for ZXT.
• 2.0L turbo petrol-automatic RWD: Available in higher 2 variants — LXT and ZXT — carrying an ex-showroom price of Rs. 14.77 lakh and Rs. 16.09 lakh, respectively.

The overall price range starts from Rs. 10.32 lakh for AXT 1.5L diesel-manual RWD variant. It stretches all the way up to Rs. 18.99 lakh for the ZXT 2.2L diesel-automatic 4WD variant. The following table presents the ex-showroom price of Thar petrol variants:

The following table presents the ex-showroom price of Thar diesel variants:

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

Fuel Cost Calculator in India

Note: Check your Car EMI with our - Car EMI Calculator

Mahindra Thar AXT — Base Model Standard Features

The Thar OG AXT base variant is only available with the 1.5L turbo diesel engine and rear-wheel drivetrain. It costs Rs. 10.32 lakh (ex-showroom) and gets the following notable features:

Considering its asking price, the Thar base model is missing out on the following features:

• 4 airbags (available in top model)
• Cruise control
• TPMS
• Power mirrors or at least internally adjustable outside mirrors
• Power-folding mirrors
• Fabric upholstery
• Front armrest
• Touchscreen or music system
• Body-coloured door handles
• Body-coloured outside mirrors
• Body-coloured bumpers
• Grab type door handles

The 2026 Thar OG base model is only available with the 1.5L turbo diesel-manual powertrain, which doesn’t get 4WD in any variant. Considering the good starting price, fantastic 300Nm of torque and that Thar’s road presence makes it a good choice if you want the best value for money without stretching the budget further. This is after all the most VFM variant with this powertrain. The LXT makes things far worse with its steep price jump and critical but only a few additional features over AXT.

If you can manage without some of the critical features missing in this variant or you’re okay with getting them from the aftermarket, then this is a great way to bring home a Thar without parting with a lot of cash.

Mahindra Thar AXT vs LXT Variant — Price, Feature Comparison

The Thar AXT variant is available with all 7 engine-transmission-drivetrain combinations. With the 1.5L diesel-manual RWD, it costs Rs. 12.99 lakh (ex-sh). This price is Rs. 2.67 lakh higher than the Thar OG base model.

The petrol-manual 4WD and diesel-manual 4WD cost Rs. 15.60 lakh and Rs. 16.43 lakh (ex-showroom), respectively. The diesel engine appears to carry a premium of Rs. 83,000 over petrol-manual. For about Rs. 1.60 lakh more than the respective manual variant, you could buy the Thar OG petrol-automatic or diesel-automatic 4WD.

The price difference between 2WD automatic and 4WD automatic is Rs. 2.46 lakh for Thar OG petrol buyers and Rs. 1.51 lakh for diesel buyers.

The following table presents all the additional features of the Thar OG LXT over the base AXT variant:

Considering the asking price of the Thar LXT, it appears to be missing out on the following features:

• 4 airbags (available in top model)
• TPMS
• Power-folding mirrors
• Body-coloured door handles
• Body-coloured outside mirrors
• Body-coloured bumpers
• Grab-type door handles (Thar gets flap-type door handles, similar to extremely affordable cars like Alto, Spresso and C3)
• Telescopic steering
• Auto AC
• Front armrest
• Keyless entry request sensor on the door
• 360-degree camera
• Rear window sunshades
• Rear armrest
• 4 parking sensors rear (considering the wide body of the Thar; even the Jimny gets 4 rear parking sensors and it’s narrower than the Ignis, which also has 4 rear parking sensors, BTW)
• Paddle shifters

Now, considering the style and purpose of a car like Thar, you could say that highlighting some of these features is like nitpicking. But, we hold all cars to a certain standard considering their price point and segment. We would have highlighted these features as missing in any other car costing Rs. 13.0 - 18.0 lakh (ex-sh) and Thar is no exception. It is our job to bring to your awareness that these features are missing in the Thar. So that, if you find the lack of any of these features as a deal breaker, then you can make a more informed decision about your next car purchase.

As far as recommendation goes, with the petrol engine, Thar OG LXT petrol-manual 4WD is worth considering. The petrol-automatic 2WD is also worth considering if you are on a tight budget but an upgrade is advisable. The petrol-automatic 4WD is just plain not recommended because of a steep premium for the 4WD. The VFM score here goes for a toss and ends at 71% — second only to the LXT 1.5L diesel RWD variant. Speaking of LXT 1.5L diesel, this one is also not recommended because of the steep price jump for not a lot of features and, thus, a poor VFM score of just 65%.

With the larger diesel engine, manual 4WD, automatic 4WD and automatic 2WD, all are worth considering as they offer a decent set of features and a decent VFM score but nothing exceptional.

Mahindra Thar LXT vs ZXT Variant — Price, Feature Comparison

The Thar ZXT variant also gets all 7 engine-transmission-drivetrain combinations with prices in the range of Rs. 13.99 lakh and Rs. 18.99 lakh (ex-showroom).

Here, the price jump from Thar OG LXT with the respective powertrain-drivetrain combo is about Rs. 1.0 lakh across most trims but 2. For the petrol-automatic 4WD and petrol-automatic RWD, the difference is not in alignment with the others. For the petrol-automatic 4WD, the price increase to ZXT is only Rs. 52,500. Meanwhile, the price jump from LXT petrol-automatic RWD to ZXT is Rs. 1.33 lakh. And the upgrade cost from ZXT petrol-manual 4WD to automatic is only Rs. 1.15 lakh.

This appears to be intentional; as if they are nudging petrol-automatic buyers in a particular direction. The petrol-automatic RWD buyers appear to be pushed in favour of LXT trim. Simultaneously, petrol-automatic 4WD buyers are being pushed towards ZXT as it gets a nominal price jump from the LXT 4WD variant.

Thus, the upgrade cost to 4WD for petrol-automatic buyers drops to Rs. 1.66 lakh in ZXT variant compared to Rs. 2.46 lakh in the LXT. For the Thar OG diesel-automatic buyers, the price difference between 2WD and 4WD remains consistent across both, LXT and ZXT variants.

The following table lists out all the notable features of the Thar OG ZXT top model over the mid-spec LXT trim:

In the Thar OG top model, you may miss the following features:

• Power-folding mirrors
• Body-coloured door handles
• Body-coloured outside mirrors
• Grab-type door handles (Thar gets flap-type door handles, similar to extremely affordable cars like Alto, Spresso and C3)
• Telescopic steering
• Auto AC
• Auto-dimming inside mirror
• Sliding front armrest
• Keyless entry request sensor on the door
• 360-degree camera
• Rear window sunshades
• Rear armrest
• Sunroof (at least a small one should have been available in a car costing Rs. 19.0 lakh ex-sh)
• Electronic parking brake
• Ventilate front seats
• Power driver seat
• 4 parking sensors rear (a must-have considering the wide body of the Thar; even the Jimny gets 4 rear parking sensors and it’s narrower than the Ignis, which also has 4 rear parking sensors, BTW, despite its affordable price point)
• Paddle shifters

Considering the respectable number of additional features and its a decent to good VFM score across all powertrain options, the Thar OG top model earns our top recommendation. Only the ZXT 1.5L diesel-manual 2WD gets a lower VFM score of 80%. This is because of a large and unjustifiable price gap between AXT and LXT variants. Since the AXT variant is not available with any other powertrain option, such a low VFM score doesn’t matter with them.

If you can put up with 2 fewer doors, limited rear seat space and other features missing in a car of this price and segment, you should be fine with the ZXT. in fact, with the addition of a few extra features, ZXT variant has become a lot easier to live with than before.

Which Variant Of The Mahindra Thar Should You Buy?

Let’s start the buying recommendation with Thar OG petrol variants. For Thar petrol-manual 4WD buyers, considering the LXT as the baseline, the ZXT comes across as a superior value option with a higher VFM score.

For Thar petrol-automatic RWD buyers, the LXT is worth considering but ZXT is an easier recommendation. However, for petrol-automatic 4WD buyers, the LXT 4WD is absolutely not recommended considering the steep premium for the 4-wheel drivetrain over the RWD automatic. The ZXT 4WD, though, manages to recoup some of that loss in value with a much more palatable VFM score.

Among the 1.5L diesel-manual RWD variants, the AXT is an excellent choice offering the best VFM score among all 3 variants. Although, it does miss out on several must-have features such as internally-adjustable or electrically-adjustable outside mirrors. The mid trim is obviously not recommended because of its poor VFM score of just 65% despite the inclusion of high-value style features like alloy wheels. The ZXT, though, manages to save face with some extra features, most of which are quite useful. Hence, the Thar 1.5L top model earns our top recommendation, even though it is not a superior VFM option.

Among the diesel-manual variants, the recommendation is straightforward. The LXT 4WD is worth considering but ZXT is a superior option.

For Thar OG diesel-automatic buyers also, the same recommendation stands regardless of the preferred drivetrain. The lower variant is a reasonable choice but ZXT offers better value.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Mahindra Thar OG?

In terms of engine specs, the Thar OG sits on another dimension compared to the off-roaders like Jimny and Gurkha. The Gurkha has a 2.6L turbo diesel engine with a 5-speed manual transmission and 4-wheel drivetrain. That’s it. The Jimny has twice as many options with its 1.5L normal petrol engine, 4WD and a choice of manual or automatic transmission.

The Thar already had 6 powertrain-drivetrain combinations and with the addition of diesel-automatic RWD, it has 7.

On the fuel type front, the Jimny sticks to a sole petrol engine and the Gukha has a diesel engine. The Thar has 3 engine options: a 1.5L turbo diesel, a 2.0L turbo petrol and a 2.2L turbo diesel.

In terms of transmission options, the Jimny and Gurkha, both have a 5-speed manual while the Jimny also has the option of an ancient 4-speed torque converter type automatic. The Thar gets a 6-speed manual with all 3 engines and a 6-speed TC automatic with the 2.2L diesel and 2.0L petrol engine.

In the performance department, the Thar has 300Nm or higher torque output with all 3 engines. The Gurkha also has a high-torque turbocharged diesel engine with 320Nm. The Jimny’s 1.5L non-turbo petrol engine is the weakest among its peers with only 134Nm of torque peaking quite high in the rev range.

The one area where Jimny comes out on top is in terms of mileage. It is the only off-roader with ARAI mileage figures coming straight from the manufacturer. Naturally, you’re not going to get good mileage with the Jimny considering the Ethanol situation, but at least they are good enough to be published. Thar and Gurkha’s mileage figures remain a secret. The Thar petrol, especially with the automatic transmission, is generally considered to be a pathetic performer in this regard with reported real-world mileage being around 7.0kmpl. Even in highway driving conditions, it is likely to stay in single digits. So, please skip the petrol engine if you’re interested in buying the Thar OG.

*Estimated

What Are The Dimensions Of The Mahindra Thar OG?

The Thar OG’s closest competitors are Jimny and Gurkha. The Gurkha is the only car with options for 3-door and 5-door layouts under the same nameplate. The Thar’s 5-door version carries a different nameplate of Thar Roxx.

Except for the Gurkha 5-door, all other cars in this comparison are almost 4 meters long. With the 2026 update, the Thar has become the widest among its competitors while the Jimny remains the narrowest.

The Gurkha is the tallest even after ignoring the roof rack. The Jimny, despite a short size, has the longest wheelbase of 2590mm, which makes it quite roomy inside. In terms of ground clearance, the Jimny has enough but the Gurkha and Thar OG are obviously superior.

The front and rear tracks of the Thar OG are identical at 1580mm. The Gurkha has good numbers too in this regard while the Jimny is the worst of the bunch. A wider track with a lower height allows a car to drive on steeper side slopes. The Thar OG can easily beat the other 2 cars on the side slope obstacle.

Moving further towards off-road statistics, the Thar OG has the best approach angle while the Jimny has the best departure angle of 47 degrees; a healthy amount better than its rivals. The Gurkha also has the best rampover angle of 27 degrees; only a shade better than the Thar’s 26.4 degree figure.

When it comes to driving through waterlogged roads, the Gurkha is the king with 700mm water wading capacity while the Thar is close with 650mm. The Jimny is far behind with only 310mm water wading depth.

In fuel tank capacity comparison, again, the Jimny is too far behind the rivals. The Gurkha has the biggest fuel tank capable of taking in 63.5 litres of fuel in one go. The Thar is close behind with 50-55 litres of fuel tank capacity. With a 50-litre fuel tank and a low mileage, it is very much possible that in real-world situations, there’s no meaningful difference between refill intervals of the Thar petrol and Jimny.

The tyres are HT for Jimny and AT for Gurkha. The Thar gets a mix of AT and HT tyres depending on variant and drivetrain. All 4WD variants get AT tyres while 2WD get HT tyres. In the top model, even the 2WD variants get AT tyres.

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The Mahindra Thar OG?

The 2022 Thar is available in the following 8 exterior colour options:

• White (Everest White)
• Blue  (Jeans Blue)
• Red (Tango Red)
• Black (Stealth Black)
• Light grey (Galaxy Grey)
• Dark grey (Artemis Silver)
• Bluish grey (Battleship Grey)
• Green (Deep Forest)

All Thar OG variants get a black roof.

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.

You can read more about vehicle segmentation at the following link:

Car Segments Explained - With Body Styles And Examples