Even if you are a tad familiar with off-roading, you must have heard about Mahindra Thar and Jeep Wrangler many times. The two beautiful beasts have come a long way in their seemingly endless trajectory of being the thrilling adventure companions of millions. Both are the kings of their respective arenas and serve as yardsticks of rugged off-roading. The comparison between the two might seem unfair to some, given the massive price difference between Mahindra Thar (Ex-showroom ₹ 12.78 – 15.08 lakhs) and Jeep Wrangler (Ex-showroom ₹ 53.90 – 57.90 lakhs). But, as both are renowned for their take-anywhere do-anything off-roading capabilities, is the distinction between these two rugged off-roaders actually worth their price difference? Let’s find out.
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Dimension and Interiors
Mahindra Thar | Jeep Wrangler | |
Length | 3985 mm | 4882 mm |
Width | 1855 mm | 1894 mm |
Height | 1920 mm | 1838 mm |
Wheelbase | 2450 mm | 3008 mm |
Ground Clearance | 226 mm | 215 mm |
The taller height and greater ground clearance of Mahindra Thar help its more beefy muscular appearance than Wrangler. The length, width, and wheelbase that are favouring Jeep Wrangler make its appearance sedately burly and more planted.
![Mahindra Thar](https://www.spinny.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/gumlet/assets/images/pixel.png)
Mahindra Thar | Jeep Wrangler | |
Seating capacity | 4 | 5 |
Infotainment | 7-inch Touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay | 8.4-inch Touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay |
Steering mounted controls | Yes | Yes |
Voice commands | Yes | Yes |
Upholstery | Fabric | Leather |
Height adjustable driver's seat | Yes | Yes |
Front & Rear armrests | No | Yes |
Steering | Hydraulic | Tilt | Manual | Hydraulic | Tilt | Manual |
Power Windows | Front | Front and Rear |
Push Button Start | No | Yes |
Climate control | Automatic two-zone | Manual |
Rear AC vents | No | Yes |
Cruise control | Yes | Yes |
Adjustable ORVM | Internally Adjustable | Electrically Adjustable |
Although the features available in Mahindra Thar are sufficient to call it comfortable and convenient, with the availability of dual-zone auto AC, bigger infotainment system, push-button for start, and leatherette upholstery the Jeep Wrangler seems a bit ahead than Thar in the luxury race. Also, the Jeep Wrangler offers a fairly bigger boot space than the Mahindra Thar.
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Safety features
![Jeep Wrangler](https://www.spinny.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/gumlet/assets/images/pixel.png)
Mahindra Thar | Jeep Wrangler | |
Airbags | 2 | 4 |
ABS and EBD | Yes | Yes |
Traction Control | No | Yes |
Electronic Stability Control | Yes | Yes |
Hill assist | Yes | Yes |
Automatic headlamps | No | Yes |
Rear defogger | No | Yes |
Parking Sensors | Rear | Rear |
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) | Yes | Yes |
NCAP rating | 4 Star (Global NCAP) | 1 Star (Euro NCAP) |
Overspeed Warning | 1 beep over 80kmph, Continuous beeps over 120kmph | 1 beep over 80kmph, Continuous beeps over 120kmph |
In terms of safety features, while Mahindra Thar is sufficiently feature-loaded, the Jeep Wrangler seems to have an edge over it due to two more airbags and some other significant features that Thar is missing for instance traction control, auto headlamps, and rear defogger. The four-star global NCAP rating of Mahindra Thar and the one-star Euro NCAP rating of Jeep Wrangler imply the structural balance and strength of Mahindra Thar is fairly better than that of Jeep Wrangler.
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![Mahindra Thar](https://www.spinny.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/gumlet/assets/images/pixel.png)
Engine & Performance
Mahindra Thar | Jeep Wrangler | |
Engine type | 2.0L I4 mStallion 150 TGDi 2.2L I4 mHawk 130 | 2.0T GME T4 DI TC |
Engine | 2.0L turbocharged petrol engine 2.2L turbocharged diesel engine | 2.0L turbocharged petrol engine |
Power | 150 BHP 130 BHP | 268 BHP |
Torque | 320 Nm 300 Nm | 400 Nm |
Transmission | 6-Speed Manual and 6-Speed torque converter Automatic | 8-Speed Torque Converter Automatic |
Mileage | Diesel - 15.2 km/l (manual) Diesel - 11.21 km/ (auto) Petrol - 15.2 km/l (manual) Petrol - 9.16 km/l (auto) | 12.1 km/l |
Clearly, the Jeep Wrangler is more powerful than the Mahindra Thar and has better torque. But what’s notable here is, in the Jeep Wrangler 400 Nm of torque is achieved after 3000 rpm, however, the diesel engine of Mahindra Thar churns out 300 Nm of torque after 1600 rpm which is considerably impressive. High torque at lower revolutions means that you can easily pull out the Thar from steep situations even at lower revs. Offering both petrol and diesel engine options is another notable advantage of Mahindra Thar.
![Jeep Wrangler](https://www.spinny.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/gumlet/assets/images/pixel.png)
Off-roading features and capability
This is the crux of the comparison between these two off-road legends. Their off-roading capabilities define the character of these vehicles and can be the difference to justify the price gap.
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Ground clearance
Mahindra Thar’s 226 mm of ground clearance is considerably higher than that of the Jeep Wrangler (215 mm). This makes it a bit more advantageous than the Jeep Wrangler for uneven and inclined patches.
Water Wading
![Mahindra Thar Water Wading](https://www.spinny.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/gumlet/assets/images/pixel.png)
Mahindra Thar has an impressive water wading capacity of 650 mm. However, Jeep Wrangler’s water wading capacity of 762 mm makes it a level above Thar to tread across streams and rivers.
![Jeep Wrangler water wading](https://www.spinny.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/gumlet/assets/images/pixel.png)
4X4 drivetrain
Along with the 4X4 drive train, Mahindra Thar has shift-on-fly transfer case with the modes: 2H, 4L, and 4H. Other arrows in Thar’s off-roading quiver are the mechanical locking rear differential, electronic brake locking differential, and an electric driveline disconnect function in the front axle for an agile swap from 2-wheel-drive to 4-wheel-drive. ESP with rollover mitigation, hill-hold, and hill descent control further fortify the take-anywhere attribute for the extreme conditions.
Certainly, the Jeep Wrangler has been built for even more harsh terrains. Along with various terrain modes and Jeep Wrangler has a Selec-Trac 4X4 system which automatically detects the terrains as it comes and automatically asserts the required torque to the wheel with the firmest grip. This makes the roughest of terrains including mud, sand, rock, and snow a cakewalk for Wrangler. The Rubicon model of Wrangler also has Tru-Lok electronic locking for both the differentials, electronic front sway bar, and Rock-Trac system to make low-speed crawling over inclined patches fairly easy.
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Approach and Departure angles
![Mahindra Thar and Jeep Wrangler crossing inclined rocks](https://www.spinny.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/gumlet/assets/images/pixel.png)
The Mahindra Thar’s 41.8-degree and 36.8-degree approach and departure angles respectively are highly commendable. However, the Jeep Wrangler’s 43.9-degree and 37-degree approach and departure angles respectively put it ahead of Thar on the grounds of countering uneven terrains.
Conclusion
As we know, the ex-showroom price of Mahindra Thar is ₹ 12.78 – ₹ 15.08 lakhs and Jeep Wrangler is ₹ 53.90 – ₹ 57.90 lakhs, both the off-roaders compete in their respective price brackets.
Mahindra Thar is not only the most affordable 4X4 off-roader in India, it’s far more capable for extremely rough and hardcore terrains than most other and pricier off-roaders in India. Since Thar is a homegrown off-roader and there is a wide network of Mahindra services, Thar’s maintenance cost is quite pocket-friendly. While this rock-solid off-roader is a remarkably rugged machine that has made millions of adventurers so far, the new generation of Mahindra Thar has been crafted to suit the Urban terrains and requirements as well. So, if you are looking for an off-roader that suits most of your off-roading desires, serves perfectly well on city roads, and is easy on your pocket, then the Mahindra Thar is your car.
Some might think they can own three Mahindra Thars for the price of one Jeep Wrangler. Yet, the Jeep Wrangler is worthy of its price tag for its invincible off-roading capabilities that are far ahead of Mahindra Thar and many other off-roaders in India. This take-anywhere, do-anything off-roading machine has been built for extremely hardcore off-roading in the harshest of the terrains. If your primary intent with your off-roader is to adventurously sail through the roughest and toughest of the terrains like a cakewalk, then you should certainly go for Jeep Wrangler.
FAQs on Jeep Wrangler vs Thar
Does Mahindra Thar have a turbocharged engine?
Mahindra Thar has a 2.0L turbocharged petrol engine and a 2.2L turbocharged diesel engine.
Does Mahindra Thar have ambient lighting?
No, Mahindra Thar does not have ambient lighting.
Among Mahindra Thar and Jeep Wrangler which one is safer?
Although Jeep Wrangler and Mahindra Thar both have the basically required safety features such as airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, and front seatbelt reminder, etc. However, the four-star Global NCAP rating of Mahindra Thar over the one-star Euro NCAP rating of Jeep Wrangler suggests that Mahindra Thar has better structural strength and stability than Jeep Wrangler.
How Many airbags does the Jeep Wrangler have?
Jeep Wrangler has four airbags that consist of driver’s, front passenger’s, driver’s side, front passenger side.
Does Mahindra Thar have an adjustable seat for the front passenger?
Mahindra Thar has a six-way manually adjustable front passenger seat.
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