SUVs are a hot rage in the country right now, particularly among enthusiasts who are constantly chasing the adrenaline rush of taking their vehicles off the beaten paths and on cross-country adventures. And to cater to this growing demand, manufacturers are working in full swing to bring alluring products to the market. Among these is Maruti Suzuki, who recently unveiled the much-anticipated Jimny that goes straight up against Mahindra’s Thar which has been dominating the SUV space. So, let's see how these two hot SUVs fare against each other in this lucrative segment.

Dimension:

The Maruti Jimny measures 3,985mm in length, 1,645mm in width, and 1,720mm in height, while the wheelbase stands at 2,590mm. It gets a boot space of 208 litres which exceeds to 332litre with the rear seats folded. It comes with a fuel tank capacity of 40 litres.

In comparison, the Mahindra Thar measures the same in length, 175mm more in width, and stands tall by 135mm. (the hard top gets a height of 1,844mm) and has fuel tank capacity of 57 litres.

Despite Jimny being a five-door, the overall length of the SUV is exactly the same as that of the three-door Thar. We expect Mahindra to unveil the five-door Thar in 2024. The Jimny has always been known for its compact dimension, and the new one is no different. When you put both these SUVs next to each other, the Jimny appears to be smaller.

When it comes to off-road capabilities, the Jimny gets a ground clearance of 210mm, an approach angle of 36 degrees, a departure angle of 50 degrees, and a ramp-over angle of 24 degrees. On the other hand, the Thar gets a ground clearance of 226mm, an approach angle of 41.2 degrees, a departure angle of 36 degrees, and a ramp-over angle of 26.2 degrees. The SUV can wade in water up to 650mm.

Engine and specifications:

Built on a ladder frame chassis, the Jimny gets a 1.5-litre K15B petrol engine that belts out 103bhp and 134Nm of torque when paired with a five-speed manual or a four-speed torque converter sending power to all four wheels via Maruti’s AllGrip Pro 4x4 system with a low range gearbox.

The new Thar comes with the option of one petrol and one diesel engine. The gasoline engine is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder that makes 150bhp and 300Nm of torque. This torque rating goes up by 20Nm in the automatic version. On the other hand, the oil burner gets a 2.2-litre diesel mHawk that produces 130bhp and 300Nm of torque paired with a six-speed manual and a six-speed torque converter. Both engines come mated to a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.

Exterior:

On the outside, the Jimny unmistakably gets an extended wheelbase, straight pillars with an upright muscular bonnet, honeycomb mesh five-slot grille, circular LED headlamps with washer, fog lamps housed in the front bumper, five twin-spoke alloy wheel design, and a tailgate-mounted spare wheel. Now, the Jimny rides on 15-inch alloy wheels.

The exterior highlight of the Thar features a multi-slat grille, circular headlamps, fender-mounted turn indicators, dual-tone bumpers, and fog lamps embedded in the bumper. On the rear, it gets rectangular-shaped tail lamps, a spare wheel mounted on the tailgate, and rides on 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels (the AX variant gets 16-inch alloy wheels). Customers can choose between a soft-top or a hard-top roof.

Interior:

As for the interior, the Jimny gets a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a rectangular black dashboard, circular AC vents, steering-mounted controls, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, near-flat reclinable front seats, and luggage hook screw holes. It still gets an old-school analogue dial, a boxy cabin, and despite being a four-door, it only gets four seats.

Inside, the Thar gets a rugged dashboard that comes equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a detailed digital driver infotainment system with an analogue speedometer and a tachometer. It also gets height and lumbar support for the driver’s seat, roof-mounted speakers, steering-mounted controls, and an adventure gauge on the TFT screen that displays all the necessary information required during off-roading.

Safety and features:

On the safety front, the Jimny comes equipped with side and curtain airbags, dual airbags, limited brake slip differential, ABS with EBD, hill hold control, hill descent control, rearview camera, side-impact door beam, and ISOFIX.

Meanwhile, the Thar gets an advanced electronic brake locking differential, washable floor with drain plugs, tow hitch protection, dual airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, ESP with roll-over mitigation, hill hold and hill descent control, built-in roll cage, snow chain provision for tyres, speed sensing front door locks.

Variants and colours:

The Maruti Jimny is available in two variants namely Zeta and Alpha. Interested buyers can opt for the SUV in Sizzling Red with a bluish-black roof, Sizzling Red, Granite Grey, Nexa Blue, Bluish Black, Pearl Arctic White, and Kinetic Yellow with a black roof.

On the other hand, the 4WD Thar is available in two variants – AX and LX, with both petrol and diesel powertrains. Customers can choose between Red Rage, Galaxy Grey, Napoli Black, and Aqua Marine. The Blazing Bronze and Everest White only come with the RWD version.