Mahindra has been spotted testing the five-door version of the Thar in India, albeit in a heavily camouflaged avatar. The SUV will likely be launched next year. The new model will have a longer wheelbase making it a more practical option for Indian families than the current-generation three-door model. The car will likely retain the 2.0-liter petrol and the 2.2-liter diesel engines.

The five-door Mahindra Thar will retain the boxy silhouette and feature the signature black grille, LED headlights, fender-mounted DRLs, a muscular clamshell hood, and redesigned bumpers with skid plates. The SUV will be flanked by a side-mounted antenna, rectangular ORVMs, flared wheel arch with black cladding, and designer alloy wheels. Spare-wheel-mounted split-type tailgate and squared-out LED taillights will be available at the rear end.

The upcoming Thar will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-petrol engine in two tunes: 147.9hp/320Nm (automatic), 147.9hp/300Nm (manual), and a 2.2-liter diesel motor that churns out 128hp/300Nm. The mills should be mated to a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic gearbox with a shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system.

The details regarding the interiors of the five-door Thar are under the wraps. However, we expect the SUV to feature a redesigned dashboard, fabric upholstery, ambient lighting, automatic climate control, multifunctional steering wheel, touchscreen infotainment system with off-road telemetry function, and a semi-digital instrument cluster. Passengers' safety will be ensured by multiple airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, hill hold, and hill descent control.

The details regarding the pricing and availability of the 2023 Thar five-door variant will be announced by Mahindra at the time of launch. We expect the SUV to carry a premium over the three-door version, which starts at Rs. 13.53 lakh (ex-showroom) in India.