The 3 door Mahindra Thar is facing big heat from its larger, more equipped sibling – the Thar ROXX. As a consequence, Mahindra and its dealers are offering hefty discounts on the 3 door Thar to clear stock considering the fact that we’re in December. Now, December is typically a month when car sales slow down as most customers wait for the new year for fresh purchases. So, the Thar 3 Door is now available at a whopping 3.06 lakh rupee discount on the top-end Earth variant, which is based on the LX 4X4 trim.
Other variants of the 3 door Mahindra Thar are also selling at large discounts. For instance, the petrol rear wheel drive trim now gets a 1.31 lakh rupee discount as it’s a slow moving model – a peppy but thirsty turbo petrol means that it has limited appeal to most parts of India except perhaps the National Capital Region (NCR). In contrast, the diesel rear wheel drive – more fuel efficient and practical – gets only 56,000 rupees off. However, the 4X4 trims are available at larger discounts of up to Rs. 1.06 lakh.
All in all, it’s a great time to go 3 door Thar shopping. The 4X4 SUV is powerful, rugged, fun to drive and gets go-anywhere capabilities on the 4X4 trims. Finally, it’s a Jeep thing. The classic 3 door ‘Jeep’ silhouette has few parallels anywhere in the world, and even with just its looks, the Thar 3-door makes a very compelling case for itself.
Then, there’s the Maruti Jimny 4X4
The saying goes, if you don’t get the pricing right the first time around, the market will force you to course correct. This is what seems to be playing out with the Maruti Suzuki Jimny – a 4X4 SUV that’s perennially on discounts. In December 2024, you can get up to Rs. 2.3 lakh off on the top-end Alpha variant while the entry-level Zeta trim is available at a discount of Rs. 1.75 lakh.
There’s a catch though
To avail these discounts, you need to get your Jimny financed by Maruti’s in-house finance option. For the Jimny Alpha 4X4, the discount is split into a 80,000 rupee dealer cash discount and an additional 1.5 lakh rupee discount through the Maruti Suzuki Smart Finance (MSSF) scheme. For the Jimny Zeta 4X4, the cash discount offered by the dealer stands at Rs. 80,000 while MSSF offers an additional discount of Rs. 95,000.
So, between the discounted Mahindra Thar 3-door and the Maruti Jimny 4X4, what should you pick?
It depends. If you want street presence, powerful turbo petrol and turbo diesel engine options and a classic 3-door layout, there’s nothing like the Mahindra Thar in the Indian market presently. As trade offs, getting into the rear seats will require a flexible body, while the suspension will constantly tell you that you’re in a Jeep, and not a car.
If you can live with these things, the Thar 3-door is a great bet. You could even buy the rear wheel drive version if you don’t go off the road, and you also have the option of choosing the convertible for wind-in=the-hair motoring. To put things into perspective, the Thar 3-door in convertible form is the most affordable drop-top car one can buy in India.
Coming to the Maruti Jimny, it’s a 4X4 that can be enjoyed by not just you but your family too. Suspension is very comfortable (for a 4X4), and getting in and out of the Jimny is a breeze. Performance is strictly adequate but the Jimny, like the Thar, isn’t something to go corner carving or triple digit chasing with. The Jimny 4X4 is the far more practical car for everyday use and if this is important to you, pick the little Maruti. And yes, it’s more affordable than the Thar 3-door, and is the car that’s much more easier to live with, too!
