Mahindra Thar Roxx vs Mahindra Scorpio N: Battle Of The Beasts

One offers more space, while the other is more affordable, but only one can check most boxes on your list

Who doesn’t want a big dominating SUV? Maybe a sedan enthusiast. But most people would love to have a beast in their garage. A car that carries a macho personality, and can go on any terrain without breaking a sweat. In the Indian mass market, there are two cars that match this description, and both of them are from our home grown brand – Mahindra.

The Mahindra Scorpio N, which came out in 2022, elevated the game of muscular SUVs, and the recently launched Mahindra Thar Roxx, which merges off-road capabilities with modern tech and has a cult following backing it up. So we took both these SUVs, and compared their every aspect to see which one would be ideal for your requirements.

Key - Same Same But Different

With both Mahindra SUVs, you get the same big black key with a rubbery finish. This key is heavy, made of good materials, not cheap plastics, and matches the ruggedness of these SUVs. For controls, you get lock and unlock buttons on both keys, but the button in the middle is different.

In the Thar Roxx, the middle button allows you to unlock the boot, while in the Scorpio N, the button in the middle is used to locate your car if it's parked in a dense parking lot.

Design - The Big Differentiator

Yes, both cars are big, muscular, dominating, and have great road presences. That has been established. But while they are from the same manufacturer, they have their own identities, and their own different styling. Let’s start with the Thar Roxx.

Being an off-roader, the Thar Roxx is rugged from all angles, but the 3-door version, it also encompasses modern design elements, which adds a touch of upmarket feel. Its C-shaped LED DRLs and tail lamps, along with stylish alloy wheels makes it look more modern than the Scorpio N, and that might be attractive to a new car buyer. However, even with these new design elements, the Thar Roxx does not like a conventional family car, and convincing your loved ones to buy a big ‘Jeep’ will be a difficult task.

The Scorpio N, on the other hand, has that family-oriented feel, even after being so big and rugged. The design of this SUV is more traditional, and while it does have that dominating look, the overall design will be appealing to most people. Also, the modern feel is present in the Scorpio N as well, due to the LED lighting elements, and the stylish-looking face.

On top of all of this, the Scorpio N is wider and taller than the Thar Roxx, which further adds to its bold road presence.

Boot Space - Thar Roxx Leads

A big family SUV should have big space for your family’s luggage, and both these cars offer that. But one is obviously better than the other. In the Thar Roxx, after opening the boot gate and the glass above, you get a flat floor where you can keep an entire suitcase set (large, medium, and small), and two soft bags. The boot lip is high, which requires you to make extra efforts while loading the boot.

The Scorpio N, with all 3 rows up, offers only enough space to keep one or two laptop bags, and if you want more space, you’ll have to fold and tumble the 3rd row. Even after doing that, it can only keep one suitcase set, and one soft bag, because the floor is not flat, which requires you to do some adjusting while loading the boot.

Interior Fit, Finish, & Quality - New Is Always Better

Since both SUVs come from the same manufacturer, the materials used and their quality is similar. You get leatherette padding in both cars, along with elements like chrome, gloss black, and brushed aluminum inserts. The buttons on the steering wheel and on the centre console are solid in both cars, and nothing feels loose and flimsy. The overall fit and finish in on point in both cars and you get what you expect in this price range.

However, the Thar Roxx feels more premium. It's new, and it makes sure you know that. The entire dashboard has leatherette padding, unlike the Scorpio N where the top is plastic. Similarly, the Scorpio N’s door cards get soft touch padding only on the elbow rest, whereas the Thar Roxx gets it up to the window line. Also, on the steering wheel, the buttons are finished in gloss black, making them look and feel richer. 

The Thar Roxx also gets a white-black colour theme, which makes the cabin feel airier and luxurious. Bear in mind, it’s very hard to maintain and keep clean. The Scorpio N, on the other hand, gets a dark brown cabin theme, which matches the rugged exteriors, and is far easier to live with in our (often) dusty conditions. That said, the Thar Roxx will get a dark cabin theme, in a Mocha Brown shade, but it will be available from January 2025, and only with the diesel 4X4 variants.

Features - One Is Clearly Better

In terms of features, the Thar Roxx is the clear winner. It gets two 10.25-inch screens (digital driver’s display and infotainment system), a panoramic sunroof, a wireless phone charger, ventilated front seats, automatic climate control, and a 9-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system.

But it's not like the Scorpio N isn’t feature rich. You get ventilated front seats and a wireless phone charger, and over the Thar Roxx, it offers dual-zone climate control and a 12-speaker Sony sound system. But, it gets a smaller 8-inch touchscreen, no fully digital driver’s display, and even the sunroof is a single-pane unit.

We also have to consider that the top-spec variant of the Thar Roxx is around Rs 2 lakh more affordable than the top-spec variant of the Scorpio N, and for a lower price, the Roxx is offering a much better feature package.

Safety - Is It Even A Question?

Both cars have 5-star crash test safety ratings. The Scorpio N got it from Global NCAP, and the Thar Roxx received its rating from Bharat NCAP. In terms of features, both get 6 airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), all-wheel disc brakes, and hill hold and descent control. The Scorpio N also gets a rearview camera.

But, the Thar Roxx, being a newer model, also gets a 360-degree camera, 6 airbags from the base-spec variant, an electronic parking brake, and Level 2 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and autonomous emergency braking. 

Both cars are well equipped with safety features and have strong crash test ratings as well. But if we had to choose the safer one out of the two, it would be the Thar Roxx, due to its driver assistance features.

Cabin Practicality - Conventional SUV or Off-roader?

Being more of a conventional large SUV, the Scorpio N offers better cabin practicality. You get 1-litre bottle holders in all doors, 1 cupholder in the front, 2 at the back, seatback pockets behind the front seats with dedicated slots for phones, storage in the front centre armrest, and an average-sized glovebox. The third-row also gets slots where you can keep your phone or your wallet.

The Thar Roxx offers a similar cabin practicality, but its rear doors don’t get bottle holders, instead, they get small slots, where you can’t even fit a 500 ml water bottle.

However, in terms of charging options, the Thar Roxx offers more. Here is what both cars get:

The third row of the Scorpio N does not get any charring ports. So, in terms of storage and practicality, the Scorpio N is better, but in terms of charging options, Thar Roxx takes the lead.

Rear Seat Experience - Space Is Important

Before talking about the second row of both cars, let’s first see what Scorpio N’s third row has to offer. Yes it is specious, but only for kids. Adults won’t get enough headroom and due to the floor being raised, they’ll have to sit keeping their knees up, which will compromise the underthigh support. With the knees up and less headroom, adults will not be able to sit here comfortably.

Since the Scorpio N is wider than the Thar Roxx, the second row has more room for 3 passengers. There is sufficient headroom, footroom and underthigh support. While the middle seat passenger has to sit with their knees up, the width of the cabin prevents shoulders from overlapping, and all three passengers get a good amount of space.

On the other hand, in the Thar Roxx, shoulders will overlap, resulting in compromised space for the middle passenger. However, the floor here is flat, which means the middle passenger doesn’t have to sit with knees up. Here, the headroom and footroom is just as good as the Scorpio N, but the underthigh support is better. It also has a better recline angle for the rear seats, which adds to the comfort.

Simply put, if you want to prioritise space for three passengers in the back, pick the Scorpio N. For two, the Thar Roxx works better.

Drive Experience - Just 1 Small Difference

Both Mahindra SUVs come with the same engine options, but with slightly different tunes. For both models, we would recommend the diesel, because it feels more natural with the SUV form factor. The turbo-petrol is also very refined and powerful, and doesn’t let you feel the weight of such big SUVs. Sadly, real world fuel efficiency is likely to be in single digits. You can consider the petrol if you foresee nothing more than occasional usage.  

Now, regardless of the engine you choose, the drive will be effortless, and both these models pack enough power to get you through anything. You can get laid back drives from both cars, and both are also great highway cruisers, but when you need the power, you’ll get that in an instant. 

Doesn’t matter if you’re driving in the city or on the highway, overtakes will be effortless, with little to no planning required. The power delivery is also smooth and linear, and getting to triple digits will take no time. Also, the quick acceleration, paired with such big bodies, will definitely make you feel powerful on the road.

Due to both the Thar Roxx and the Scorpio N getting the same engine, there is little to no difference between them in terms of performance, and neither one of them will leave you wanting for more. But, when taken off the road, a big difference in capabilities can be seen.

Both cars do come with 4WD, with the diesel engine, and both are off-road capable. But in tricky situations, where the Scorpio N would struggle, the Thar Roxx doesn’t break a sweat. This is because of its better approach, departure, and breakover angles. Also, it gets off-road specific features like intelli-turn and crawl smart, which makes off-roading easier for the Thar Roxx.

Ride Comfort - Not What You Expect

Some SUVs like the Creta, Grand Vitara, and even the XUV700 offer a plush ride quality that makes sure you and all other passengers are comfortable on Indian roads. But that’s not the case with these two SUVs. Due to them being body-on-frame SUVs, you will get a lot of movement inside the cabin, and you should not expect a smooth or a plush ride with them.

When driving on slow speeds, even the small potholes and speedbreaker will translate to movement inside the cabin, and you along with the other passengers will experience side to side movement. At high speeds on the highway, the undulations of the roads will result in vertical body movement, which will not be so comfortable.

Yes, these cars can keep you comfortable when driving on a smooth patch, and you won’t feel any sudden jerks, but on poorly built roads and on broken patches, you will experience a lot of movement, which won’t be so easy to avoid.

However, with full load and a full boot, the ride quality of both these SUVs does become better, due to the car being weighed down. 

For the passengers in the front, the ride quality is the same in both the Thar Roxx and the Scorpio N. But, the rear passengers will be more comfortable in the Thar Roox, as compared to Scorpio N, which is a little more jumpy. 

But, if you are buying any of these two SUVs after owning a traditional car, then it will take you some time to get used to this ride quality. 

Verdict - Buy Or Hold?

If you don’t want to wait for a year and a half for the delivery of the Thar Roxx, and want a big dominating SUVs as soon as possible, then go for the Scorpio N. It has better space and practicality, and is almost as capable as the Thar Roxx. However, you’ll miss out on the latest features, and will get the less premium cabin.

But, if you can wait, then we’ll suggest you go for the better of these two, which is the Thar Roxx. You’ll get the latest features, more premium cabin, and better safety as well. Also, nothing can beat the dominating road presence of the Thar Roxx in this price range.

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