Maruti Jimny vs Mahindra Thar: 6 Key Differences

How does Mahindra’s second-gen Thar offering compare to the fourth-gen Suzuki Jimny?

Small, rugged and relatively off-roading cars have a special appeal in most corners of the world. The fourth-gen Suzuki Jimny has been immensely popular in various global markets since it debuted in 2018 and those who couldn’t get their hands, including Indian buyers, on it were quite disappointed. However, Maruti brought the little adventure vehicle over for Auto Expo 2020 and the carmaker has since announced that it is looking into offering a five-door version for the Indian market. The recent success of the second-gen Mahindra Thar (waiting period stretches over seven months!) which is a three-door offering could tempt Maruti to offer the Jimny in its global-spec version as well. But if you’re interested in these cars, here are some of the key differences between the two that you need to keep in mind:

Thar has more powerful engines

Mahindra offers the Thar with the choice of petrol and diesel engines while the Jimny is only offered with a 1.5-litre petrol engine overseas. Even if Maruti offered the India-spec offering with the BS6 1.5-litre diesel engine, the Jimny would be down on power compared to the Thar. Here are the exact figures:

Thar is bigger, Jimny is significantly lighter

Both the Thar and the global-spec Jimny are three-door offerings but the Mahindra model is significantly larger. Even if we take into account the fact that Maruti will be engineering it into a longer 5-door version, the Jimny would still lose to the Thar in terms of width and height. LIke the Thar, Maruti would ideally keep the its off-roader within the sub-4m SUV bracket so overall length will likely be similar. However, the Jimny’s diminutive proportions help balance out the aforementioned lack of performance since it is significantly lighter too. The diesel-AT Thar has a kerb weight of 1,783kg while the heaviest Jimny has a kerb weight of 1,110kg.

It is worth noting that the Mahindra Thar has a better safety rating than the Suzuki Jimny. The Thar scored four stars in the Global NCAP crash tests while the Jimny secured a three-star rating in the Euro NCAP tests even though it was equipped with autonomous emergency braking and more airbags.

Jimny looks like a mini G-wagon while Thar looks like a Jeep

Design is a subjective topic, yes. But the comparisons drawn between the Jimny and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class have populated the internet since Suzuki debuted the model. The round headlamps and the boxy proportions do make it look like a miniature G-wagon. Meanwhile, the Thar is usually perceived as the classic Jeep and is often compared to the more expensive Jeep Wrangler. Both have different approaches to the same rugged appeal. While the Jimny aims for a more premium look, the Thar has a retrospective style that appeals to its fanbase.

Thar gets choice of convertible soft-top or fixed hard top, Jimny does not

Mahindra offers the second-gen Thar with the choice of a convertible soft-top or a fixed hard top from the factory, which adds to its versatility. It helps cater to both the adventure enthusiasts and those who want a balance of practicality and lifestyle. Meanwhile, the Jimny is only offered with a hardtop as a single piece unlike the fitted tops of the rear section of the Thar.

Off-roading by numbers

Both cars get 4WD as standard with a low-range transfer case. Since we don’t have any numbers for the upcoming 5-door version of the Jimny, let’s compare the off-road dimensions for the three-door versions of both SUVs:

The Thar has higher ground clearance and water wading capacity than the Jimny. The Suzuki has a much steeper departure angle but the Mahindra has a better approach angle for off-roading. Both cars are very similar in their breakover angle but the Jimny edges the Thar by just 1-degree.

Jimny to be a more premium offering

Both the Jimny and the Thar have a utilitarian feel to their cabins as compared to most SUVs. Mahindra really brought the Thar up to times with its new cabin that features roof-mounted speakers, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a multi-information display in the centre of the instrument cluster. However, the Jimny’s cabin seems more premium with its materials, the design around the dials and features like auto AC. 

In its global spec, the Suzuki also comes with a lot of added safety tech such as autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and six airbags. The India-spec Jimny may miss out on those safety features but it could still get the more premium features than the Thar like LED headlamps.

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