The company claims that some buyers are staying away from the SUV because of the three-door design. Mahindra is therefore developing a 5-door version of the Thar to increase the attractiveness of that off-roading image and capability.
The new Gurkha has been introduced to the market by Force Motors and other manufacturers as well. Additionally, a 5-door variation of this is planned. Another noteworthy development is that Maruti Suzuki will also enter the 5-door segment to intensify rivalry.
Additionally, Maruti Suzuki is getting ready to produce a 5-door Jimny model just for India. Large families in particular will find these cars to be very appealing, and they also have the excellent all-terrain capability.
All of these future SUVs are designed with a ladder frame and great off-road capabilities with lifestyle off-road lovers in mind. This essay looks at what makes future SUVs unique.
The present three-door chassis’ long-wheelbase variant will serve as the foundation for all three SUVs. The length and wheelbase of the three-door Jimny are 3,550 mm and 2,250 mm, respectively. The Jimny 5-door’s overall length will expand to 3,850 mm thanks to a 300 mm increase in wheelbase, as we previously reported. It will be the only one of the three SUVs to still fit into the sub-4 meter category and will have a length under 4 meters.
There is no disputing that the Mahindra Thar has significantly increased accessibility to serious off-roading because, unlike the vehicle from the previous generation, it also combines amenities for everyday utility. However, the three-door configuration would continue to deter some customers from the SUV, so Mahindra has been developing a five-door variant of the Thar to increase the appeal of that off-roading image and capability.
Intriguingly, Maruti Suzuki is also getting ready to release a five-door version of the Jimny that is specifically designed for India. Force Motors is also getting ready to release a five-door version of its new Gurkha, which has been enhanced with some modern comforts. These cars offer exceptional all-around capability while also appealing to a far wider audience, notably larger families.
All of these forthcoming SUVs will be aimed at the same demographic – lifestyle off-road aficionados – and will have substantial off-road hardware and ladder frame foundations, but they will still be very distinct from one another. We examine what will distinguish each of these SUVs.
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Gurkha, Thar, and the five-door Jimny: size
Although the Jimny, Thar, and Gurkha will all have five doors, they will all be direct competitors and have drastically different sizes. The five-door Jimny will have the shortest footprint, followed by the five-door Gurkha.
The existing three-door chassis will serve as the foundation for all three SUVs. The three-door Jimny is 3,550 mm long and has a 2,250 mm wheelbase. The Jimny 5 door’s overall length will expand to 3,850mm thanks to a 300mm increase in wheelbase, as previously reported. It will still be shorter than 4 meters in length than the other two SUVs, making it the sole SUV in this group.
The five-door Gurkha is anticipated to have a 400mm increase in wheelbase while the three-door Gurkha measures 4,116mm in length and has a 2,400mm wheelbase. Given that its overall length will be significantly longer than 4.5 meters, it will probably have the longest wheelbase of the group.
Last but not least, the five-door Thar, which is anticipated to have a wheelbase of 2,750mm, will share its substructure with the Scorpio N (which is built on a long wheelbase variant of the three-door Thar’s ladder frame chassis). Therefore, the five-door Thar will fit perfectly between the Jimny and the Gurkha.
Gurkha vs. Thar vs. the five-door Jimny: the powertrain
The powertrain setups of the three SUVs will also vary significantly. The 1.5-liter, four-cylinder, normally aspirated K15C engine that already powers a variety of Maruti Suzuki vehicles in India will power the Jimny, a petrol-only SUV. The mild hybrid technology, which is now available on all cars powered by this engine, will be exclusive to the Jimny.
While this is going on, the five-door Gurkha will continue to be a diesel-only SUV, using the same 2.6-liter diesel engine that powers the three-door version. To compensate for the increased size and weight, it might get more horsepower than the present 91hp.
In contrast, the five-door Thar will offer both gasoline and diesel engine choices. The 2.2-liter mHawk diesel and 2.0-liter mStallion petrol engines from the three-door model will be retained. Although the exact numbers for power and torque haven’t been released, they’ll probably be comparable to those of the Scorpio N.
The five-door Gurkha, like its three-door brother, will only be available with a manual gearbox, whereas the five-door versions of the Jimny and Thar will be available with both manual and automatic gearboxes.
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Gurkha vs. Thar vs. the five-door Jimny: the seating arrangement
The Jimny is sold outside, the three-door versions of the Thar and Gurkha, and all four-seater versions of the Thar are currently available. However, the Thar and Jimny will have bench seats for the second row in their five-door configurations to produce a five-seater SUV. Mahindra might possibly provide a bench-style third row of seats for the Thar, just like the Scorpio N does.
The five-door Gurkha, however, will come in a variety of seating options. On one occasion, it was seen on a test with captain chairs for the second and third rows, while on another, it was seen with double side-facing jump seats. There will also be a bench seat for the third row, which implies it will be available in at least 6-, 7-, and 9-seater configurations.
Gurkha, Thar, and the five-door Jimny: the similarities
All three of the forthcoming SUVs will still be hard-core off-roaders with sturdy ladder-frame underpinnings at their core. These SUVs will stand out from the sea of front-wheel drive, monocoque SUVs now on the market thanks to their four-wheel drive system, durable suspension setup, locking differentials, and low-range transfer case. The off-road performance of these SUVs may be somewhat compromised in the five-door models (due to restricted break-over angles and more weight), but their twin personalities should more than make up for it.
All three SUVs already have cult followings in our nation, and now that more things are working in their favor for the usability of their five-door versions, the thrill of off-roading is about to get a major boost.
The Scorpio N platform will support the 5-door Thar, which is anticipated to have a wheelbase of 2,750 mm. The Scorpio N platform is built on a long-wheelbase version of the three-door Thar’s ladder frame chassis. This places the 5-door Thar between the Jimny and the Gurkha.