Indian offroading fraternity faced the discontinuation of Maruti Suzuki Gypsy in 2019. Mahindra Thar after a successful run of 10 years was also discontinued before the BS6 norms kicked in. People knew that a whole new generation is around the corner. And on 15th of August, the Independence day, Mahindra launched the new iteration of Thar. Be it the looks, performance, off-roading capability, daily usage or the features, 2020 Mahindra Thar has raised the bar far too high for the rivals. Talking about the rivals, there are none at present, yet we compared it with Kia Seltos. Missed it? Click here.
Now as we head towards a new year, i.e., 2021, there is speculation that Maruti Suzuki might bring in the Jimny, an off-roader that has a legacy of its own. Maruti Suzuki showcased Jimny at the Auto Expo 2020, raising the hopes. So will Maruti Suzuki Jimny be able to take on 2020 Mahindra Thar? It’s time to find out where we’ll put the Global-spec Suzuki Jimny up against the Mahindra Thar on our course of comparison. Let’s get started.
2020 Mahindra Thar vs Suzuki Jimny | Performance Comparison
2020 Mahindra Thar | Suzuki Jimny | ||
Engine | mStallion 150 T-GDi | mHawk 130 Diesel | 1.5-litre K15B |
Power @rpm | 150hp@5,000 | 130hp@3,750 | 100.5hp@6,000 |
Torque @rpm | 300Nm@1250-3000 | 300Nm@1600-2800 | 130Nm@4,000 |
Transmission | 6-speed Manual / 6-speed Torque Converter | 5-speed MT / 4-speed AT | |
Drive type | Part-time 4WD | Part-time 4WD (Allgrip Pro) |
These numbers surely put Thar ahead of Jimny. Better transmission options and more power give Thar a better head start. Both of the offroaders offer part-time 4WD. But this is not all about performance. We have to take a look at the off-roading capabilities too.
2020 Mahindra Thar | Suzuki Jimny | |
Ground Clearance (mm) | 219(AX)/226(LX) | 210 |
Departure Angle (Degrees) | 36(AX)/36.8(LX) | 49 |
Approach Angle (Degrees) | 41.2(AX)/41.8(LX) | 37 |
Rampover Angle (Degrees) | 26.2(AX)/27(LX) | 28 |
Water Wading Depth (mm) | 650 | 320 (Source) |
The Thar offers better ground clearance, approach angle and water wading capacity. Thar offers more than double water wading capacity when compared to the Jimny. The Jimny being a light vehicle starts floating when it goes deeper than this capacity. Suzuki Jimny does offer a better departure angle and a slightly better ramp over angle.
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Dimension Comparison
2020 Mahindra Thar | Suzuki Jimny | |
Length (mm) | 3,985 | 3,480 |
Width (mm) | 1,820(AX)/1,855(LX) | 1,645 |
Height (mm) | 1,920 | 1,720 |
Wheelbase (mm) | 2,450 | 2,250 |
Seating Capacity | 4 | 4 |
Boot space (litres) (Rear seats raised) | 100 | 40 |
2020 Mahindra Thar is a beast. It has a road presence that the small Jimny will not be able to rival for sure. Be it the length, the width of the wheelbase, Mahindra Thar surely beats the Jimny. But not all is lost here. Talking about being a beast, Thar makes it tough to manoeuvre through the Indian traffic, one thing Jimny will offer way better. This makes it a better choice for those who will be using their offroader on the roads more than actual offroading, in short, the majority of Indians. You get what we mean, don’t you?
Now, its time for features comparison!
2020 Mahindra Thar hosts a lot of new features that the previous-gen lacked. You get features such as height and lumbar adjustable driver seat, power windows, electrically adjustable ORVMs, remote flip key, tilt steering, roof-mounted speakers, touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cruise control and much more.
On the other hand, Jimny also hosts features like SmartPlay infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, steering mounted controls, power sockets, and a few ones here and there.
Now, when it comes to safety, Mahindra has once again proved its mantle in the road safety. 2020 Mahindra Thar scored a 4-star rating at the Global NCAP for the adult as well as the child occupancy. It hosts features like ABS with EBD, ESP with roll-over mitigation, dual airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchor points, panic braking signal and snow chain provision for tyres. On the other hand, Suzuki Jimny scored a 3-star rating at the EuroNCAP. It comes with features like lane departure warning, AEB, high beam assist along with the basic features that are required in India. We can expect Maruti Suzuki to offer the basic ones in India, but the ones like blind-spot monitoring might not come here.
Do you agree? 10 Reasons Why 2020 Mahindra Thar is an Unmatched Offroader!
So, what do you think? Do let us know in the comments section below.
I would choose on THAR
Don’t forget weight to power ratio where Jimny is the winner
Maruti worst car in terms of safety for off-road ing we need a safe car not sasta product
My hilly terrain and an avid offroader, thar 2020 is no match for a gypsy whatever.