The next-generation Mahindra Thar 4×4 could distance itself from its Jeep-like styling as the brand looks to free itself from trademark complications – and sell the vehicle in Australia.
The next iteration of the Jeep Wrangler’s Indian look-alike – the Mahindra Thar – could be styled a lot less like its US rival when it hits showrooms in India and, for the first time, Australia.
The Vision T and related Vision SXT ute are among four concepts revealed by Mahindra to showcase a new vehicle platform known as NU_IQ, designed to underpin multiple vehicles and support petrol, diesel, hybrid, and electric power.
The show cars appear to be evolutions of the Vision Thar.e concept revealed in 2023 – a vehicle Mahindra executives have indicated to Australian media is planned for sale locally in its production form.
As a result, the Vision T and its forebear drop key styling cues – including the ‘seven-slot’ grille – from the current Thar that saw the Indian car giant blocked by the Federal Court from selling the vehicle in Australia due to its similarity to the Jeep Wrangler.
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This comes despite Mahindra legally acquiring the right to build the original Willys Jeep in the 1940s, and evolving through successor models into the current-generation Thar – in the same way the Jeep Wrangler was developed from the same starting point.
The Vision T SUV and Vision SXT pick-up retain a number of Thar styling themes, including a six-slot split grille, triangular C-pillar, and hexagonal wheel arch openings, much like those seen on the current five-door Thar Roxx.
To distance the concepts from their Willys heritage, Mahindra has abandoned flat-top front guards, round headlights and seven-slot grille of the current three-door Thar, but kept touches like external door hinges and square door mirrors.
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In the case of the Vision T, the styling offers an almost production-ready glimpse of what to expect from the next-generation Thar, following on the 2023 Vision Thar.e concept.
The Vision SXT pick-up concept trades the Vision T’s hardtop rear roof section for an open rear deck, but doesn’t extend the overall length of the vehicle.
Beadlock wheels, high-cleanance bumpers with built-in skid plates, and a front brush guard integrated into the grille give it a more rugged look than the Vision T.
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Mahindra hasn’t yet detailed the powertrain options for the Vision T and Vision SXT.
Given the current-generation Thar has only been in production since 2020 – the five-door Thar Roxx joining the range in 2024 – the concepts could point to electric and hybrid companion models to sell alongside the existing range.
With NU_IQ also being developed for petrol and diesel compatibility, it’s also possible the existing Thar could be phased out as internal combustion (ICE) versions of the new-generation cars ramp up.
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As the largest of the NU_IQ platform concepts, the Vision T measures 4320mm long and rides on a 2665mm wheelbase, according to international media, making it 108mm shorter than the Thar Roxx with a 185mm shorter wheelbase.
NU_IQ is claimed to be the world’s first flat-floor platform for petrol- and diesel-fuelled vehicles, packing the engine and transmission hardware into a skateboard-style chassis design similar to that used by electric cars.
Also among the concepts shown is the Vision S, a boxy city SUV which mimics the rugged styling of Mahindra’s larger 4×4 range.
It carries compact-car dimensions designed to take advantage of tax incentives in India for vehicles less than four metres in length.
The Vision X is another small SUV with sleeker ‘crossover’ styling and a fastback shape that points to a successor to the just-launched Mahindra XUV 3XO SUV.
The new model rollout for the four concepts is set to start in early 2027 with a production version of the Vision S, followed by the Vision T and Vision SXT in late 2027 or early 2028. The production Vision X is due to complete the range in late 2028.
Plans to sell the showroom variants of the Vision S, X and SXT in Australia are yet to be confirmed.
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