Mahindra Thar Roxx gets a plethora of features to satisfy tech-savvy buyers, but it misses out on a few attributes- If it wants to compete with other family-oriented SUVs in the segment
Mahindra Thar Roxx has emerged as the more practical, comfortable and premium offering over the regular 3-Door Thar. There is a major influx of features and creature comforts that has positioned it on par, or above the widely-accepted monocoque C-Segment SUVs. Mahindra Thar Roxx prices start from Rs 12.99 lakh (Ex-sh).
You can read Rushlane’s first-drive review to understand more about Thar Roxx. However, there are some misses in the Thar, which rival SUVs in the segment offer to deliver a better overall family SUV package. Here are some of the misses we found in Thar Roxx after driving it in Kochi as part of the media drive arranged by Mahindra.
1. True Keyless Experience
Mahindra has offered a push-button start system with Thar Roxx so that people shouldn’t have to open their keys from the pocket to get going. However, customers will still have to open the keys out to enter the car because there are no request sensors. So, bother with push-button start?
2. Door Pockets
There are door pockets on all four doors in Mahindra Thar Roxx. However, the functionality of them is very low as you can hardly keep anything beyond a 500ml water bottle. Also, these door pockets are not easily accessible when doors are shut.
3. No Telescopic Steering Adjust
There is an electrically adjustable driver’s seat, which is not exactly a requirement in mainstream lifestyle vehicles like Thar Roxx. But the steering wheel lacks telescopic adjustment for reach on a vehicle that will cost around Rs 28 lakh (Speculated OTR, Karnataka, for AX7L D22 AT 4WD).
4. Flat Folding Rear Seats
The rear seats are 60:40 split with folding function. However, they don’t fold all the way flat and there is a pronounced step from the boot floor. Mahindra could have implemented a false boot floor solution so that there was more flexibility with luggage loading and practicality.
5. Darker Interior Colour Option In Top Trim
The top-spec AX7L trim we drove in Kochi, had a white interior theme along with white upholstery as standard. Mahindra mentioned that one can just wipe it clean. Owning a car with white leather upholstery, I have managed to wipe the interiors clean with a lot of products. Maybe a Brown shade would have made a lot more sense.
6. A Convertible Roof Option
While there is a massive influx of features, there is one desirability factor present on 3-Door Thar, which is completely absent on Thar Roxx. That is a convertible roof option for that proper wind-in-your-hair feel. The coolness factor would have increased ten fold, but all Thar Roxx models get a metal roof as standard.
7. Base 4WD Variant
No matter how many features Mahindra can stuff into the Thar Roxx, it is a lifestyle adventure off-road machine, at the end of the day. In that light, Mahindra should have offered 4WD right from base MX1 trim. Which is sadly not the case.