Forbidden Indian Jeep upgraded

Mahindra has given its Jeep Wrangler doppelganger a proper going-over, launching the Thar OG in India with a new ladder-frame chassis, more powerful engines and a features list that finally looks like it belongs in 2026.

The catch for Aussies? The so-called ‘Indian Jeep’ remains firmly off the menu here, after Jeep parent Stellantis successfully used the Australian courts to keep the previous Thar out of local showrooms.

Calling the upgraded 2026 Mahindra Thar a facelift sells it short. The Thar OG moves onto the stiffer M_Glyde 4G architecture that debuted under the five-door Thar Roxx in 2024, brings a 60mm wider track, 232mm of ground clearance and Mahindra’s ‘PENTALINK’ rear suspension with a Watts link.

New Davinci dampers developed with Tenneco are offered (aimed at fixing the Thar’s famously choppy ride quality), the flagship ZXT adds frequency dependent damping, and electric power steering replaces the old hydraulic set-up across the range.

“With the Thar OG, we have elevated the iconic three-door Thar through significant advances in on-road refinement and off-road capability,” Mahindra & Mahindra automotive business president Dr Velusamy R said, according to a press statement.

Under the bonnet, the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol is up 8kW to 119kW and the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel climbs 15kW to 112kW, with both now making 330Nm – a handy 30Nm bump.

The entry-level 1.5-litre turbo-diesel carries over with 87kW/300Nm. Drive goes to the rear or all four wheels via a six-speed manual or six-speed auto.

Styling is still unmistakably Wrangler-ish, now with a five-slot grille, round LED headlights with C-shaped DRLs, fender-mounted ‘ice-cube’ fog lights and 19-inch alloys on the ZXT.

Two new colours, Artemis Silver and Jeans Blue, join six carryover hues.

“Designing the Thar OG was never about reinventing an icon but making it even more Thar,” Mahindra chief design and creative officer Pratap Bose said.

Jeep’s lawyers would probably argue that’s precisely the problem.

Every Thar OG gets dual airbags, stability control with rollover mitigation and push-button start, while the ZXT ups the ante with six airbags, four-wheel disc brakes, a reversing camera, front parking sensors and tyre-pressure monitoring.

Mahindra’s spec sheet makes no mention of autonomous emergency braking or AEB.

Then there’s the price. The base AXT diesel rear-driver with a manual costs around $15,000 (?10.32 lakh), while a fully loaded ZXT 4x4 diesel auto is around $A28,500 (?18.99 lakh).

A genuine Wrangler costs almost $100,000 in (?66.20 lakh) in India, meaning you could park six entry-level Thars in the driveway for less than one Jeep.

Indian deliveries kick off on October 11 and Mahindra says the Thar nameplate has already found more than 400,000 customers on the sub-continent, and the Thar OG is designed to keep that ball rolling.

Australia was once pencilled in as the Thar’s first export market, before Stellantis – Jeep’s parent company – put the handbrake on.

With the Thar OG keeping its Wrangler-inspired silhouette, local fans of cheap, body-on-frame fun shouldn’t hold their breath and will have to make do with a Suzuki Jimny in the meantime.

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