Mahindra Thar OG faces off against Maruti Jimny and Force Gurkha in new comparison

Mahindra launched the Thar OG with several hardware, styling and safety upgrades over the outgoing model to compete with the Maruti Suzuki Jimny and Force Gurkha 3-door in the mass-market off-roader segment. In dimensions, the Thar OG and Jimny are longer than the Gurkha 3-door, while the Jimny features the longest wheelbase of 2,590mm, though it is also the narrowest and shortest vehicle here. The Gurkha rides highest off the ground at 233mm, closely followed by the Thar OG at 232mm. The Thar OG and Gurkha offer 18-inch wheels, with the top-spec Thar OG ZXT riding on 19-inch units, while the Jimny comes with 15-inch wheels only. The Thar OG leads with a 40-degree approach angle, whereas the Jimny has the highest departure angle at 46 degrees and the Gurkha claims the best rampover angle at 28 degrees along with a water-wading depth of 700mm. Under the hood, the Thar OG offers three engine choices, outperforming rivals with a 162hp 2.0-litre petrol engine and a high-torque 2.2-litre diesel unit. These engines pair with 6-speed manual or automatic gearboxes and rear-wheel or four-wheel drive layouts, while the 1.5-litre diesel uses a 6-speed manual with rear-wheel drive. By comparison, the Jimny and Gurkha offer only one engine option each. For suspension, the Thar OG and Gurkha use independent double-wishbone front setups, while the Thar adds a five-link rear setup with a Watt's link. The Thar also features terrain modes in four-wheel drive and electronic locking differentials, alongside new DaVinci dampers and frequency dependent damping on the ZXT trim. Pricing starts at Rs 10.32 lakh for the base Thar OG AXT diesel, making it Rs 2.27 lakh cheaper than the base Jimny and Rs 5.94 lakh lower than the Gurkha, while the top-end Thar OG ZXT diesel 4WD automatic reaches Rs 17.75 lakh.