Mahindra Thar ROXX — where the four-wheel drive is, and what it costs you
A 2,850 mm wheelbase, five doors and a five-star Bharat NCAP result. But petrol is rear-wheel drive only, and 4XPLOR starts at MX5 — the configuration decision here matters more than the trim.
Autovisor verdict: The ROXX is the first Mahindra that lets you have the Thar's presence and hardware without organising your family life around a three-door car.
Last updated: · Prices updated: · Prices are indicative ex-showroom ranges and change with variant, city and manufacturer revisions.
Mahindra Thar ROXX price in India
How much does the Mahindra Thar ROXX cost?
Roughly ₹12.52 lakh to ₹23.53 lakh ex-showroom — an eleven-lakh spread, which is unusually wide and tells you the range is really three cars pretending to be one. Around ₹12.5–15 lakh you are buying a rear-wheel-drive MX1 or MX3, which is a five-door lifestyle SUV without the off-road hardware. Around ₹17–19 lakh you reach MX5 and AX5L diesel, the first point at which 4XPLOR four-wheel drive appears. At ₹21.5–23.5 lakh you are in AX5L and AX7L diesel automatic 4x4 territory, where the ADAS suite, panoramic roof, twin 10.25-inch screens and Harman Kardon audio live. The single most expensive decision is not a trim step at all — it is deciding you want four-wheel drive, because that forces you onto diesel and into the upper half of the range.
These are ex-showroom figures and they move: Mahindra revises prices periodically, and the September 2025 GST change reduced them materially. On-road cost adds registration, road tax, insurance and applicable statutory charges, and a ₹20 lakh-plus diesel SUV attracts the highest road-tax slabs in most states, so the gap between ex-showroom and on-road is larger here than on a small hatchback. Use Mahindra's own configurator for your city and get a written dealer quote before you plan a budget.
- • State road tax, which is steepest on high-value diesel SUVs and varies widely between states
- • Registration and applicable statutory charges for your RTO
- • Insurance on a vehicle with a high declared value and expensive body panels
- • Accessory and off-road packs, which dealers push hard on this model
- • Extended warranty under Mahindra's Shield programme, if you take it
Decide the drivetrain first, because it dictates everything else. If you will never leave tarmac, the rear-wheel-drive petrol MX3 or MX5 is the honest buy and saves you several lakh. If you want genuine capability, you must go diesel and you must reach MX5, AX5L or AX7L — those are the only trims offered with 4XPLOR. AX5L diesel 4x4 is the sensible top of the useful range; AX7L adds ventilated seats, 19-inch wheels and the full show, and prices accordingly.
Price data last updated: . Figures are indicative ex-showroom prices and vary by variant, city and manufacturer revisions.
The ROXX is the first Mahindra that lets you have the Thar's presence and hardware without organising your family life around a three-door car. The long wheelbase transforms the ride, the rear seat is genuinely habitable, the boot is a real boot, and the crash result is exceptional for a ladder-frame SUV. The reasoning that should worry a buyer is configuration: petrol buyers get no four-wheel drive at all, capable versions are expensive and heavy on diesel, and a 1,923 mm tall body on chunky tyres is never going to drive like a monocoque SUV at the same money.
- + 2,850 mm wheelbase turns the Thar formula into a car a family can actually live with — rear access, rear seat and ride quality all improve fundamentally
- + Five-star Bharat NCAP with 31.09/32 adult and 45/49 child occupant protection, tested November 2024 under AIS-197 — the first body-on-frame SUV in India to manage it
- + Genuine off-road hardware on the diesel 4XPLOR versions: electronic locking differential, terrain modes, 650 mm claimed wading depth, 41.7° approach and 36.1° departure angles
- + The 2.0 turbo-petrol automatic makes around 177 PS and 380 Nm, which is properly quick for a vehicle of this shape
- + Top trims are genuinely well equipped — panoramic roof, twin 10.25-inch screens, Harman Kardon audio, 360-degree camera, Level 2 ADAS
- + Presence and desirability that nothing else in the price band matches
- − Four-wheel drive is diesel-only and restricted to MX5, AX5L and AX7L — every petrol ROXX is rear-wheel drive
- − Capable configurations sit in the upper half of an eleven-lakh price spread, so the interesting versions are expensive
- − A 1,923 mm tall, heavy ladder-frame SUV on off-road-biased tyres rolls and thumps in a way monocoque rivals do not
- − Mahindra has not published clear per-powertrain ARAI efficiency figures, and neither engine is frugal in normal use
- − Published boot figures conflict between Mahindra's own launch material and independent spec listings — verify against the current brochure for your variant
- − Standard warranty is reported at three years / 100,000 km, shorter in distance than Mahindra's unlimited-km cover on the XUV700 and Scorpio N
- − Tall body and long-travel suspension make tight multi-storey parking a genuine chore
Someone who wants the Thar's look, height and ability but carries passengers, luggage and children regularly — and who has decided honestly whether they need the diesel 4XPLOR hardware or just the way the car looks in the driveway.
You want four-wheel drive on a budget, you want the cheapest running costs, you value quiet and compliant road manners above character, you park in tight city basements, or you need seven seats.
Variants & pricing
Indicative ex-showroom prices, India. On-road cost adds registration, road tax and insurance — typically 10–15% more.
| Variant | Fuel | Transmission | Drive | Seats | Ex-showroom | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MX1 Petrol MT | Petrol | 6MT | RWD | 5 | ₹12.52 L | 18-inch steel wheels · LED headlamps · Fabric seats · 10.25-inch touchscreen · Six airbags and ESC standard |
| MX1 Diesel MT | Diesel | 6MT | RWD | 5 | ₹14.23 L | 2.2 mHawk diesel, 330 Nm · Base equipment level · Rear-wheel drive only |
| MX3 Petrol AT | Petrol | 6AT | RWD | 5 | ₹15.28 L | Adaptive cruise control · Driving modes · Wireless Android Auto · Leatherette seats · Rear armrest with storage |
| MX3 Diesel MT | Diesel | 6MT | RWD | 5 | ₹16.28 L | MX3 equipment with the diesel engine · Rear-wheel drive |
| MX5 Petrol MT | Petrol | 6MT | RWD | 5 | ₹16.52 L | Single-pane sunroof · 18-inch alloy wheels · TPMS · Still rear-wheel drive — no 4x4 on petrol |
| MX5 Diesel MT 4x4 | Diesel | 6MT | 4WD | 5 | ₹19.17 L | First trim with 4XPLOR four-wheel drive · Electronic locking differential · Terrain modes · Sunroof and alloys |
| AX3L Diesel MT | Diesel | 6MT | RWD | 5 | ₹17.28 L | Adventure-themed L-series trim · Rear-wheel drive only |
| Star Edition Diesel MT | Diesel | 6MT | RWD | 5 | ₹17.77 L | Special-edition styling and equipment pack · Rear-wheel drive |
| AX5L Diesel MT 4x4 | Diesel | 6MT | 4WD | 5 | ₹20.17 L | Panoramic Skyroof · Twin 10.25-inch screens · 360-degree camera · 4XPLOR terrain modes |
| AX5L Diesel AT 4x4 | Diesel | 6AT | 4WD | 5 | ₹21.52 L | 175 PS / 370 Nm diesel automatic · Level 2 ADAS · Harman Kardon audio · Electronic parking brake |
| AX7L Petrol AT | Petrol | 6AT | RWD | 5 | ₹19.99 L | Top-trim equipment with the 177 PS turbo-petrol · Rear-wheel drive — no 4x4 offered on petrol |
| AX7L Diesel AT 4x4 | Diesel | 6AT | 4WD | 5 | ₹23.53 L | 19-inch diamond-cut alloys · Ventilated powered front seats · Level 2 ADAS · Harman Kardon nine-speaker audio · Full 4XPLOR hardware with SmartCrawl |
Engines & real-world mileage
Rear-wheel drive only. This is the cheapest way into the ROXX and it is a perfectly good road car, but it has no four-wheel-drive option in any trim. Buy it knowing that, not discovering it.
The best-driving ROXX on tarmac by some margin: 380 Nm through a torque-converter automatic suits the car's weight and makes it genuinely rapid. Still rear-wheel drive. If your ROXX will live on roads and you want it to feel fast, this is the configuration.
Available in the lower trims as a rear-driven car. Torque low in the range makes it relaxed with a full cabin, and it is the engine to pick if you cover serious annual mileage but do not need the four-wheel-drive hardware.
The only way to buy a four-wheel-drive Thar ROXX, and it is restricted to the MX5, AX5L and AX7L trims. It brings the electronic locking differential, terrain modes and the low-speed crawl systems, and it is what justifies the ROXX's off-road claims. Everything below those trims, and every petrol, is rear-wheel drive.
Drivetrain options
Driven wheels are not interchangeable between variants — and all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are different systems.
Almost everyone who buys this car for the way it looks and the way it sits above traffic. Rear-wheel drive plus 226 mm of clearance handles flooded city roads, unpaved approach tracks and rough village roads perfectly well. It does not handle loose sand, deep slush or a steep loose climb, and no amount of ground clearance substitutes for driven front wheels when traction disappears.
Buyers who genuinely go off tarmac — trail driving, sand, snow, river crossings, remote work sites — and buyers in hilly regions who want the security of a locking differential on a wet unpaved climb. It brings terrain modes and low-speed crawl assistance alongside the hardware. If your honest answer is 'once or twice a year on a gravel track', you are paying several lakh for reassurance rather than necessity, and the rear-wheel-drive car will not let you down.
Dimensions
Mahindra Thar ROXX overview
Feature highlights
- Panoramic Skyroof on AX5L and AX7L; single-pane sunroof from MX5
- Twin 10.25-inch HD screens — digital instrument cluster and infotainment — on the L-series trims
- Harman Kardon nine-speaker audio with Dolby Atmos on top trims
- Level 2 ADAS including forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking, listed on AX5L and AX7L
- 360-degree camera, electronic parking brake and front and rear parking sensors on upper trims
- Ventilated, powered front seats and 19-inch diamond-cut alloys on AX7L
- 4XPLOR terrain modes with SmartCrawl and IntelliTurn on four-wheel-drive variants
- Adrenox connected-car suite with built-in Alexa and an adventure statistics display showing compass, roll, pitch and altitude
- Adaptive cruise control from MX3
Safety
- Bharat NCAP five stars for adult occupant protection (31.09/32) and five stars for child occupant protection (45/49), tested November 2024 under the AIS-197 protocol on MX3 and AX5L variants
- The first body-on-frame SUV in India to achieve a five-star Bharat NCAP result
- Six airbags standard across the range
- Electronic stability control standard
- Level 2 ADAS with forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking, listed on AX5L and AX7L — not on the lower trims or the petrol variants
- 360-degree camera and rear disc brakes on upper trims
- Electronic locking differential and hill-descent behaviour through 4XPLOR on four-wheel-drive variants
- Tyre pressure monitoring from MX5
On the road
The wheelbase is the story. At 2,850 mm the ROXX rides with a settledness the three-door car simply cannot manage — the pitching over undulations that defines a short-wheelbase off-roader is largely gone, and the car tracks straight at highway speed instead of needing constant small corrections. That single change is what makes the ROXX defensible as an everyday vehicle. What has not changed is the physics of a 1,923 mm tall, heavy ladder-frame SUV on tall tyres. There is roll in corners, the steering is deliberate rather than quick, and sharp expansion joints send a shudder through the structure that a monocoque rival absorbs. You sit high, you see over everything, and you drive it accordingly. The 2.0 petrol automatic with 380 Nm is the pick for tarmac pace and feels genuinely fast in a straight line; the diesel is the better companion for loaded distance work, doing its job from 1,500 rpm without fuss. Off tarmac, the four-wheel-drive diesel versions are the real thing. Approach and departure angles of 41.7 and 36.1 degrees, 650 mm of claimed wading depth, terrain modes and an electronic locking differential put the ROXX beyond what soft-roaders attempt, and the low-speed crawl systems make technical sections manageable without practised throttle control. In the city, none of that helps: the turning circle is large, the body is wide, and basement parking involves more shuffling than you would like.
Inside the cabin
This is where the ROXX diverges most sharply from the Thar formula. The cabin is a proper modern SUV interior — twin 10.25-inch screens on the L-series trims, soft-touch surfaces where your elbows land, a panoramic roof, and a Harman Kardon system that is genuinely good. It is designed to be lived in rather than hosed out. The rear seat is the reason the car exists. Five doors mean you can put a child seat in without gymnastics, and the long wheelbase gives adults real kneeroom and a seatback angle that works on a four-hour drive. Headroom is abundant because the body is tall. Access is easy, which sounds mundane until you have owned a three-door and tried to load a toddler in a car park. The boot is a genuinely usable, squared-off space with a proper opening, and it is the other half of the practicality argument. Mahindra's own launch material and independent spec listings quote very different capacity figures — likely because they measure to different standards — so rather than repeat a number we cannot reconcile, the honest guidance is that it swallows a family's luggage comfortably and you should check the brochure figure for the exact variant you are buying. On the L-series trims the equipment genuinely matches the money: ventilated powered seats, 360-degree camera, electronic parking brake, connected-car functions and the adventure display showing roll, pitch and altitude, which is a gimmick that turns out to be fun on a hill road.
Ownership cost & resale
Warranty on the ROXX is reported as three years or 100,000 kilometres, which is shorter in distance than the unlimited-kilometre cover Mahindra offers on the XUV700 and Scorpio N — worth confirming in the warranty booklet before you sign, especially if you cover high annual mileage. Mahindra's Shield programme extends cover up to five years or 150,000 km and is worth pricing at the point of purchase rather than later. Two ownership costs are specific to this vehicle rather than to its price band. The first is tyres: large-diameter, off-road-biased rubber on a heavy vehicle is expensive to replace and wears faster than the road tyres on a comparable monocoque SUV. The second is fuel — Mahindra has not published clear per-powertrain ARAI figures and neither engine is economical in normal use, so budget generously rather than optimistically. Four-wheel-drive variants add a transfer case and differential to the service schedule, which is not onerous but is not free either.
Who should buy the Mahindra Thar ROXX?
Buy the ROXX if you love what the Thar represents but your life includes a rear seat, a boot and passengers who need their own doors. It is the right car for a family that takes hill holidays, drives poor roads regularly, or wants an SUV that feels unbreakable and looks unmistakable. It also suits a buyer replacing a three-door Thar for exactly the reasons they wish they had considered the first time.
Answer one question before you visit a showroom: will you actually drive this car where two driven wheels are not enough? If the answer is no — and for most buyers it honestly is — the rear-wheel-drive petrol is the intelligent buy, and the MX5 petrol manual at roughly ₹16.5 lakh or the MX3 petrol automatic at around ₹15.3 lakh give you the look, the height, the ride and the safety rating for several lakh less than the capable cars. If the answer is yes, you are committed to diesel and to MX5 or above; AX5L diesel automatic 4x4 at around ₹21.5 lakh is the sweet spot, bringing 4XPLOR, the panoramic roof, twin screens and Level 2 ADAS without paying AX7L money for 19-inch wheels and ventilated seats. What you should not do is buy a petrol ROXX assuming four-wheel drive can be added later. It cannot.
Alternatives to consider
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Frequently asked questions
How much does the Mahindra Thar ROXX cost in 2026?＋
Roughly ₹12.52 lakh to ₹23.53 lakh ex-showroom. Rear-wheel-drive petrol variants occupy the lower half of that range; the diesel four-wheel-drive automatics sit at the top. On-road cost adds registration, road tax and insurance, and high-value diesel SUVs attract the steepest road-tax slabs in most states, so get a written quote for your city.
Does every Thar ROXX have 4x4?＋
No, and this is the most important thing to know before you shop. Four-wheel drive — Mahindra's 4XPLOR system — is offered on diesel variants only, and only on the MX5, AX5L and AX7L trims. Every petrol Thar ROXX, in every trim and with either gearbox, is rear-wheel drive. There is no way to add four-wheel drive to a petrol car later.
Is the Thar ROXX just a five-door Thar?＋
No. It is a separate model on a newer platform, with its own dimensions, its own crash test, its own engine tuning and its own price list, and Mahindra continues to sell the three-door Thar alongside it. The 2,850 mm wheelbase changes the ride and the rear-seat experience fundamentally, and the ROXX's equipment and ADAS have no equivalent on the smaller car. They serve different buyers.
Should I buy the petrol or the diesel Thar ROXX?＋
Start with drivetrain, not fuel. If you want four-wheel drive, the decision is made for you — it is diesel only. If you do not, the 2.0 turbo-petrol automatic with 177 PS and 380 Nm is the better road car and feels genuinely quick, while the 2.2 diesel is the better choice for high annual mileage and loaded highway work, pulling from 1,500 rpm without effort.
Does the Thar ROXX come with an automatic?＋
Yes. A six-speed torque-converter automatic is offered on both engines. The petrol automatic is tuned higher than the petrol manual at around 177 PS and 380 Nm, and the diesel automatic in four-wheel-drive form makes approximately 175 PS and 370 Nm. The automatic suits this vehicle's weight and character well.
What safety rating does the Thar ROXX have?＋
Five stars from Bharat NCAP for both adult and child occupant protection, scoring 31.09 out of 32 for adults and 45 out of 49 for children. Testing was carried out in November 2024 under the AIS-197 protocol on MX3 and AX5L variants. It was the first body-on-frame SUV in India to achieve a five-star Bharat NCAP result.
Does the Thar ROXX have ADAS?＋
Level 2 ADAS, including forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking, is listed on the AX5L and AX7L trims. It is not part of the specification on the lower MX1, MX3 and AX3L trims. If driver assistance matters to you, it comes attached to the upper end of the range.
Is the Thar ROXX practical for a family?＋
Far more so than the three-door Thar, which is the point of it. Five doors mean easy child-seat access, the 2,850 mm wheelbase gives adults genuine kneeroom in the back, headroom is abundant and the boot is a squared-off usable space. It seats five, not seven, and the tall wide body makes tight city parking harder than in a monocoque SUV.
How capable is the Thar ROXX off-road?＋
In diesel 4XPLOR form, seriously capable: 41.7° approach and 36.1° departure angles, a 23.9° ramp-over angle, 650 mm of claimed wading depth, an electronic locking differential, terrain modes and low-speed crawl assistance. In rear-wheel-drive form, it has the ground clearance for rough roads and flooded streets but not the traction hardware for sand, deep slush or loose climbs.
What is the Thar ROXX's mileage?＋
Mahindra has not published clear per-powertrain ARAI figures for the ROXX in its current public material, so we will not quote a certified number. As an editorial expectation, neither engine is economical: the turbo-petrol is thirsty when used the way it invites, and the diesel is the more frugal choice over distance. Treat this as a vehicle whose running costs you budget generously for.
How big is the Thar ROXX?＋
4,428 mm long, 1,870 mm wide and 1,923 mm tall, on a 2,850 mm wheelbase, with a 57-litre fuel tank. Published ground-clearance figures vary between 226 mm and 235 mm across sources, and published boot capacity also differs between Mahindra's launch material and independent spec listings, so confirm both against the current brochure for the exact variant you are buying.
Which Thar ROXX variant should I buy?＋
If you will not go off tarmac, the MX3 petrol automatic at around ₹15.3 lakh or the MX5 petrol manual at around ₹16.5 lakh give you the look, the ride and the crash rating for a great deal less money. If you want the hardware, AX5L diesel automatic 4x4 at around ₹21.5 lakh is the sweet spot — 4XPLOR, panoramic roof, twin screens and ADAS without paying AX7L money for wheels and ventilated seats.
What warranty does the Thar ROXX come with?＋
It is reported at three years or 100,000 kilometres, which is shorter in distance than Mahindra's unlimited-kilometre warranty on the XUV700 and Scorpio N — worth checking in the warranty booklet if you cover high mileage. Mahindra's Shield programme extends coverage up to five years or 150,000 km and is best priced at the time of purchase.
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