Maruti Jimny 5 Door vs Mahindra Thar vs Force Gurkha | Know Everything

SUVs with all-wheel drive are slowly making a comeback. Various carmakers in the country have started considering offering 4X4 or AWD drivetrain with their cars. But when it comes to hardcore off-road, the jeep style off-road cars are still among the top-selling cars. That said, as of now in the country there are two cars under Rs. 20 Lakhs (ex-showroom) that people go for. One is the Mahindra Thar and the other is the Force Gurkha. That said, Maruti Suzuki is also eyeing the opportunity to launch its iteration of a hardcore off-roader, the Jimny. However, it is expected that the company might launch the 5-door version of the Maruti Suzuki Jimny in India.

As the 5-door version of the Maruti Suzuki Jimny has been spied in the country we expect the company to launch the vehicle soon. Now when it does, it will be directly competing with the competition like the Mahindra Thar and the Force Gurkha. Now with cars like such, does the Maruti Suzuki Jimny stand a chance? Let us have a detailed look.

The Engine and transmission

By far the most important aspect of a car/vehicle with an AWD or 4X4 setup is its engine and the transmission. What we mean by that is the engine should be powerful enough to propel the weight of the vehicle and the transmission efficient enough to transmit the power of the engine to the wheels. That said, Mahindra Thar is the most powerful of the trio and also the torquest.

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Be it petrol or Diesel both the engines are more powerful than their respective counterparts. Maruti Suzuki Jimny is expected to come with the same K15 engine that also does duties in the new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. Hence we expected it to come with similar power and torque figures but with slight tweaks to the gear ratios and ECU.

Also, where the Mahindra Thar comes with an option of a petrol or a diesel engine, Maruti is anticipated to only offer petrol and Force Gurkha comes with only a diesel engine.

Safety Features

Suzuki worldwide offers a variety of amenities in the Jimny, whereas Maruti has a reputation for including very few safety measures in its vehicles. We may anticipate that some of them will also be transported on the Indian-spec Jimny. It will be a high-end offering through Maruti’s NEXA channel. Dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, Traction Control (TC), Hill launch and descent assist, and Suzuki’s cutting-edge 4X4 system known as the AllGrip system are all standard on the Jimny.

On the other hand, Mahindra Thar has already scored more than the decent 4-Star rating in the Global NCAP crash test rating. This makes the vehicle among the safest vehicle to be manufactured in India. Additionally, the car comes with dual airbags, hill descent control, child seat anchor points and others.

The same cannot be said for Gurkha. The offroader from Force has not been tested at the Global NCAP crash test but it also comes equipt with basic safety features. These include dual airbags, ABS EBD, child seat anchor points and others.

Dimensions

As Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha are in production, the Maruti Suzuki Jimny is in its testing phase. This means, there are no concrete dimensions exclaimed by the company in the country. Nevertheless, a 5-door Jimny is expected in the country, the vehicle is also expected to grow in size a little.

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To get an idea, Suzuki Jimny sold in Europe and other regions measures, 3550mm in length, 1645mm in width, and 1730mm in height. These dimensions are sure less than that of its rivals. But with the 5-door iteration, we expect the car to slightly grow in length. Also, the wheelbase is also expected to increase by a few millimetres. All this is to accommodate the rear set of doors. Not in width and height both of which are expected to remain the same.

Features

Maruti Suzuki Jimny can be expected to get a big touchscreen infotainment system compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It is highly likely that Jimny shares its infotainment with all the other cars from the brand. In Addition, other features on the Jimny are anticipated to include the LED projector headlamps, electric ORVMs with turn indicators and many more.

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Well, unlike the previous iterations of Mahindra Thar, the one on sale now comes loaded with creature comforts and features. These include a touch screen infotainment system with apple car play and android auto, cruise control and others. Well, it is the Gurkha that is lacking some features. It doesn’t come with steering-mounted control or cruise control. Well, Gurkha does get a touch screen infotainment system, but it lacks Android Auto and apple car play.

Verdict 

For the price, as of now, Mahindra Thar makes a lot more sense as it packs more power under the hood and comes with more features on the inside. Additionally, Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha are also available almost at the same price. Well, with the launch of the Maruti Suzuki Jimny 5-door things might take a different turn. But that is something that time will tell.

Fun Fact: Although Maruri Suzuki Jimny is manufactured in India all of them are exported to the international market.

Mahindra Thar starts at Rs. 13.53 Lakh and goes up till  Rs. 16.28 Lakh, ex-showroom. On the other hand Force Gurkha comes with only one variant that costs Rs. 14.49 ex-showroom.

Also Read: Mahindra Thar Pickup | Will This Be a Reality?

Also, we expect the Jimny to be priced at around Rs. 9 Lakh – Rs. 16Lakh (ex-showroom).