Mahindra Auto has been killing it in the lifestyle traditional ladder frame off-road SUV game in the Indian automobile industry. It is so far up ahead in its game that immediate rivals are not even in the peripheral vision, where sales and popularity are concerned. However, there has been an influx of new monocoque SUVs which come with vastly popular nameplates.
The company seems to be working on 2026 Thar Roxx and speculations suggest that there could be a new engine. Test mules have been showing up periodically and they further fuel these speculations. There is a good probability that these new Thar Roxx test mules might be packing a new engine option for this vehicle. Let’s check out the possibilities.
2026 Mahindra Thar Roxx Spied Testing
Even though these upcoming monocoque SUVs are not direct rivals to Thar Roxx in terms of their construction, Mahindra may take some moves to stay ahead in the curve and maintain its lead. With Thar Roxx, Mahindra might launch a new engine option to keep the sales books running.
At launch, Mahindra only introduced two engines with Thar Roxx – a 2.0L Turbo Petrol and a 2.2L Turbo Diesel. Both these engines did duties in Thar as well (3-Door model). However, Thar had a third engine option, which did not make it to Thar Roxx. We’re talking about the 1.5L Turbo Diesel engine, which only the Thar currently gets.
This 1.5L Turbo Diesel engine is the last piece of the puzzle where powertrain options for Thar Roxx are concerned. Mahindra might launch Thar Roxx 1.5D in the country soon and it could spawn a new base variant at a much better price point and a bunch of new variants of each trim level at better price points.
Currently, Thar Roxx starts from Rs 12.39 lakh (Ex-sh) for the base MX1 2.0 Petrol MT 2WD variant. If Mahindra is working on Thar Roxx 1.5 Diesel MT variants, we can expect a much lower entry price point than MX1 2.0 Petrol MT 2WD variant.
Could This Be AX7 Trim?
Another interesting attribute of this particular test mule spied by automotive enthusiast Sibi from Chennai is that it packs an unusual combination of a single-pane sunroof and 19-inch alloy wheels. Currently, 19-inch alloy wheels are offered with AX7L and the recently launched Star Edition only. Both those trims get a panoramic sunroof.
So, the combination of a single-pane sunroof and 19-inch alloy wheels suggest a possible launch of a new trim level. Probably AX7, slotted between AX5L and AX7L. Mahindra has not confirmed if Thar Roxx will get a new AX7 trim level or a lineup of 1.5L Diesel engine options.
