[justwheels]

Thanks @Robimahanta and @Jaggu for a quick sneak peak of the Roxx.

While I echo with most comments shared by members above, a few points that caught my attention are as below: (please note I own a 3 door Thar driven 50K in last 3 years, so my comparison vantage point is that)

Interiors:

1. The moment you enter the Roxx, you will feel like a CAR. This Thar is a car from inside. Now that could be a good and bad thing both. The perception built by all older generations as well as the 3 door (which in all rights was echelons above the previous generations), is that the moment you enter, you will have a flair of solid rugged, abuse friendly, offroad focused interiors. Roxx has none. It is very car like. The white plays a huge role in that perception build up and then the sunroof.

2. All said and done, it feels very modern from inside even when the 3 door is just 3 years old. The bigger screen, electronic brake, digital driver's screen, 360 degree camera exude class and luxury to some extent

3. A lot has been said about the white interiors. I personally feel atleast Mahindra should offer a darker shade like a Tan or Brown for 4x4 versions. Taking the white into wilderness will be a crime

4. For the first time I loved the sunroof on any car. Now that could be purely because I own a 3 Door Thar and the lack of large glass area at the rear makes it feel very dingy. This one feels a lot more airy.

5. Having a door to access the rear seat is a luxury if you have experienced the same in the 3 door. While the rear doors of the Roxx have a small opening, but they open wide enough (almost more than 90deg). This makes ingress comparatively easy. The best part is that the side step is very usable for the ingress and will make it comfortable. It is not in the leagues of any C-SUV for sure and elderly will still have to haul themselves in.

6. Finally we have a usable boot. While I have had my share of experimentation to pack the 3 door to the full, Roxx has a generous boot, and is quite a square, so every inch is usable.

Exterior:

1. I can only say one thing, the looks will grow on you very soon. Yes there are design quirks, but I am sure they settle in your eyes if you keep ogling long enough.

2. The grill - well there will be enough after market versions to satisfy your visual need, so while the current one is a bit too overdone, it is not something to keep you awake in the night.

The Drive:

1. Does it float - NO, but does it keep you in the seat with comfort - YES
Again, my benchmark is 3 door Thar, so please bear with me.

2. The suspension will reveal to you in a jiffy that you are in a body on frame vehicle, period! but in a more calm and composed manner. Roxx swallows lot of undulations of the road without jostling you around much. But again, it is not in leagues of the monocoques. The XUV will feel more mature handling the road.
I can say, it is the sedan of the SUV's, not "THE SUV"

3. The diesel engine is butter smooth and NVH levels are well controlled.

4. The steering is light like a Hyundai. Personally, I would have liked a bit of heft (or may I am used to the hydraulic steering of the 3 Door). While it will make city drives and parking lot manoeuvres much easier, I wonder how would it weigh up during offroad scenarios especially on rocks etc. A lighter steering in offroad will not be a good thing.

Overall, Roxx is a well mannered mature car like Thar with the practicality of 5 doors. With 4X4 AT being available in only the top versions, offroad focused people wanting ATs and those wanting to upgrade from 3 door Thar AT will find it hard to convince themselves owing to the price point. Hardcore offroaders might give it a pass.

For others who are ok with 4X2, there are surely going to be interesting showroom conversations within the family deciding between the Roxx, the ScorpioN and the XUV.

But, one thing is for sure, Mahindra has yet another winner and a cash cow in their stable.

[swiftnfurious]

Thanks for the details Jaggu & Viddy !

Do you foresee these changes rolling into the Thar 3D ? With all these great improvements, I assume that customers will be ready to pay some extra dough to get the ROXX than the 3D.

And the ROXX adds the better practicality as well.

[ryzen7@5800u]

The pricing of the Thar 5D base model is very interesting. At 15 lakhs on the road, I think it will set the cat among the crossover SUV pigeons. Dad registered on Tata's website for test driving the Curvv ICE, but now the Thar 5D looks like a better option!

[gururajrv]

Thar Roxxx certainly has riled up my interest for it. Might certainly contend with my other interests to fill in as a replacement for my current car for sure.

Family is convinced after seeing the videos of the car. This itself is a good sign as Mahindra has certainly hit another ball out of the park. They're hattrick heroes in the carmaker space!

Whoever has gotten to sneak a view beforehand are certainly lucky. wish I had some friends in the reviewer space to get a sneak peak for myself

[headbanger]

One thing that is distinct in TBHP review of Roxx as well as other media houses for this car is the sheer emotion of reviewers.

While we pride ourselves in the details and facts in the review of every new car, this whole thread has a very different vibe to it.

Whether the car itself is that good or may be the expectations around the car were set low to start with, I am loving that emotional excitement that is being shared in small anecdotes. I can't remember the last time a car piqued such interest in the review. Keep it coming!!!!

Needless to say, we already sense Roxx is going to be TBHP car of the year!!!

[manishk83]

Originally Posted by Geta

To be honest, Tata would not have expected so much of volumes in this segment (other than Innova, of course.

Very well said. You have to give it to Mahindra for continuing to have faith despite major flops in the Marazzo and the Alturas. They fully deserve all this success for the sheer never-give-up attitude.

And yes, it’s a pity that Tata has not been able to encash on the 3-year gold rush for SUVs (a slowdown is surely coming now). They were too late to upgrade their products and then they just started charging too steep a premium to become justifiable. And giving discounts just 6 months after raising prices (on the Harrier + Safari twins) is not fair to your recent customers. And to confirm: Tata twins are now back to almost only 2,500 - 2,700 units per month in wholesale dispatches.

That is where Mahindra played smart. On the Scorpio-N (I am on the verge of buying the Petrol AT), they quietly released a Z8S version - effectively giving a 1 L discount without alienating the existing buyers.

Mahindra’s success has been hard-earned and they deserve every bit of it! Let’s see how ROXX plays into the entire dynamics.

[Zinger_Winger]

If one is willing to forgo the Diesel for it detuned specs on the RWD models even on the top spec (and 11-12 max mileage, as reported by various reviewers on Youtube), the MX3 P AT variant seems like a mouth watering option to go for, has almost all the necessary features.

For 17.97 (on-road Mumbai) it seems like a steal. One can very well burn the 7(ish) lakhs one saves, on the Petrol that it'll so badly need later.

I for one have consciously taken the decision to sit out of this rat-race, that seems to soon be coming. I'll pull the trigger on the Scorpio N facelift though, whenever it comes.

[SAE40 in veins]

Originally Posted by wheelguy

This is where Tata and Mahindra chose 2 different paths, Tata decided based on numbers and decided not to include 4x4 and petrols in the segment, while Mahindra decided based on emotions and chose to provide petrols and 4x4 in the segment. Seems like some number cruncher at Tata won the debate on whether to provide petrol and 4x4 options, while at Mahindra some marketing person might have won the debate.

The worst part is that Tata had a new gen hydroformed ladder frame chassis ready with the Aria(which later made it's way to the Hexa) and the platform along with the 400 NM 2.2 engine was just the right base for a full size SUV. Had they done one proper vehicle instead of two half baked ones (the Aria and Hexa), they would have been sitting on gold now.
Another foolishness was to copy the Discovery sport platform just to create a normal FWD vehicle with a borrowed FIAT engine. They are yet to understand that the customer buys a 'vehicle' and not a 'platform'. Platform, suspensions, steering systems etc are not seen by the customer but 'Felt' or experienced by the customer. He sees three things, Looks, Price and Features and the rest is to be experienced. The Safari facelift with its million dollar looks and features would have turned things around but then, the untested infotainment and electronics brought it down to its knees.
The 2.2 liter Diesel AFAIK does duty in the Xenon Yodha series and Winger Van now.
A new 1.2 GDI and 1.5/1.6 4 pot petrol unit is waiting in the wings. Hope they do it right with the upcoming Sierra...

[Miel]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Disclaimer: This is an enthusiast take on living with the Thar Roxx and NOT an official TeamBHP review.

A wonderful drive review, that was!!! The disclaimer was needed

In the Post-Covid Era, I am seeing many Thars on Kerala roads. Friends who knew nothing about off-roading and had 5+ member families have bought the 3-door Thar as the 2nd or even 3rd car in the house. Mind you, these are ordinary folks whose other cars are, well ordinary, like a Swift, or the 1st gen Figo, or the 1st gen Santro (What? Yes!). And of course, the Thar is also often stablemates with cars 10x times or more expensive (Duh!! We all know that).

So I am happy to see Mahindra choose Kochi in Kerala as the media-launch destination.

I am myself looking to buy the "perfect all-rounder SUV", which wouldn't cost a bomb, since 2010. I ogled the Bolero for long, then the Scorpio, then the Bolero Storm, then the Thar 1st gen, then the Thar 700, then the 2020 Thar 2nd gen, then the Scorpio N, and now finally the 5-door Thar Roxx has arrived. I have no more excuses to field and a good selection palette from which to pick one for the field days!

Let me however wait, maybe a year or 2, and see which amongst the Thar, Roxx, Jimny, Scorpio-N, Gurkha, and XUV700 will give me the best long-term bang for the buck and age well alongside me. The Thar Roxx seems like it. But let me give it the customary 2 year Beta Testing time we give for Mahindra cars. I anyway prefer buying the 1st or later facelift of any car that I take a liking to.

[gururajrv]

There's one trend with Mahindra on TBHP if everyone's noticed. Be it threads on Indian Car scene with scoops, be it first glance reviews by mods or from the members, posts & pages keep flooding quite quickly. They've not only gained market share, they certainly have gained interests from individual's (like me), who I'm sure wouldn't have thought Mahindra as one of the strongest contenders in the ocean of Europeans, Koreans ruling the market so handsomely!

This trend started since 2020 with the 3-door Thar and swiftly followed by the Rockstar XUV 7OO and shortly thereafter by the legend Scorpio-N.

Nothing has changed for Thar Roxxx too. I'm sure official review thread will be LIT!

Way to go Mahindra!

[Bit]

Well put review Jaggu, truly appreciated!

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Good PR and Marketing move this is, especially for a vehicle that can be a game changer for market and the manufacturer. Not only this move generate interests, but also create a feedback mechanism. [/i]

Can I ask a question honestly: Did Mahindra ask for any *official* feedback in proper written form (be it online or on paper) by your extended driving of Thar?

I am asking it because I'm curious if Mahindra's move to give all senior auto-reviewers a chance for a long-drive was to gather some honest feedbacks or just for PR? And whether they are seriously considering to apply the fixes the reviewers suggest? There are niggles (although minor) in the review batch but is there a hope about them being ironed out even in the first production batch or not?

I don't know what is the usual manufacturing cycle and whether Mahindra has already started producing the first batch of deliveries. Is there any chance of further improvements for 2024 manufactured cars, based upon influencer's feedback?

[kaushalswarup]

As the owner of a modded 2018 thar, the 5-door has been on my radar for a long time!
Lack of boot space, ease & comfort for 4 people, and the need for the “do-it-all” kind of car, meant the updated thar 3-door wasn’t an option.

Having seen a few videos, and having gone through this entire thread, this Thar 5-door seems to be a winner! Mahindra is upping the game with its SUVs, and this seems to be the cherry on top.

The name “Roxx” seems to be extremely childish and foxuses away from the matured package that the vehicle is. I hope the Motoring community just calls this the 5-door.

Thank you @Jaggu, for the wonderful and in-depth opinion, details, and specifics. It answered almost all the questions that the general media reviews failed to. I’m glad to know how good of a comfortable mile muncher the thar is.

I had one doubt though. Does changing the wheels to steelies, say 16-18” and adding on more off-road focused AT tyres, cause any issues with the ADAS system? While I assume the ADAS works off the radars and cameras across the car, it’s calibrated according to the stock setup. Could the change to the wheels and tyres mess the system up, or can the calibration be updated to handle the change?

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by justwheels

The steering is light like a Hyundai. Personally, I would have liked a bit of heft (or may I am used to the hydraulic steering of the 3 Door).

It's high time we all started mentioning Thar 3 door as Thar and 5 door as Thar Roxx or just Roxx, now that Mahindra has "spectacularly" named it. I'm also guilty of using 3D, 5 D in earlier posts. The same sentiments was shared by fellow enthusiasts too. At least in T BHP, let's make a start.

It's a different matter when you write or spell Roxx, there's that acerbic tone that filters through. How I wish this car was named Thar Armada, Thar Marshal or Thar Commander. All those monikers had enough pull among people.

On a lighter note, imagine this, someone(a petrolhead kid) reading this line 20 years down the line - "or may be I am used to the hydraulic steering of the 3 Door" and they would wonder why the hell were they using steering for doors and that too hydraulic

[sridhar-v]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I have not driven the New Scorpio, but all I can say is on the highway one brand new Scorpio N decided to do friendly race with Roxx and I was tailing him to the T till he started doing very dangerous moves. So backed off, after than in about 10 mts again caught up with him, but this time he just pulled over to the side and gave way Visibly I felt Scorpio had more roll compared to Roxx due to the height.

How would you compare the ride and handling, for both 4x4 & 4x2 variants, of the Thar Roxx vis a vis your 2.4L Grand Vitara?

Thanks.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by Bit

I don't know what is the usual manufacturing cycle and whether Mahindra has already started producing the first batch of deliveries. Is there any chance of further improvements for 2024 manufactured cars, based upon influencer's feedback?

The vehicle is made with a number of real world user profiles , after the deliveries start they will send executives to the homes of owners to confirm if those profiles are met, taking in the feedback as well.

This will be used for this product as well as other products, for example ADAS was requested for Thar , ScorpioN as well by the owners.

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

It's a different matter when you write or spell Roxx, there's that acerbic tone that filters through. How I wish this car was named Thar Armada, Thar Marshal or Thar Commander. All those monikers had enough pull among people.

It looks like many Youtubers had kept an Armada on standby for making videos, their plans obviously did not materialize because they forgot that Armada is still on sale.