Mahindra is in the midst of an almost complete overhaul of its Australian line-up, and the Indian brand has even more new product it plans to reveal in its home market.
In addition to a range of electric vehicles, Mahindra is working on new internal-combustion engine (ICE) products which it will evaluate for a local launch.
The first of these upcoming models is a stretched, five-door version of the boxy Thar SUV that’s similar in style to the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and Suzuki Jimny 5-Door.
Camouflaged prototype versions of this Thar 5-Door have been spied in India, with media there saying it could be revealed as soon as August this year.
It’s understood this five-door version of the Mahindra Thar will showcase a design refresh that will carry over to the existing three-door model. It’s unclear exactly what changes the Thar will get at this stage.
A Mahindra Automotive Australia spokesperson told CarExpert it will “definitely” be evaluating the Thar 5-Door for a local launch once it’s revealed. Whether it actually goes on sale in Australia is another story altogether.
As previously reported, Mahindra Automotive Australia shelved plans to import and sell the Thar, at least in its present incarnation, after a Federal Court case filed by Stellantis forced its hand.
Stellantis had been trying to stop the sale of the Thar locally, arguing it impinged on its design trademarks – specifically, that it looked too much like the Jeep Wrangler.
It’s unclear if the updated Thar will receive enough design changes to allow it to be sold in Australia at this stage.
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Current Thar
The other ICE vehicle Mahindra that’s understood to be in the pipeline is a next-generation version of its Pik-Up ute.
Mahindra, unlike a number of carmakers, has historically revealed the related body-on-frame Scorpio SUV a few years before the Pik-Up ute.
The first Mahindra Pik-Up, known as the Scorpio Getaway in certain markets, was launched in India in 2006, which was four years after the first Scorpio SUV was revealed. It came to Australia in 2009.
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Current Pik-Up
The current, second-generation Pik-Up was launched in Australia in 2018, which was also four years after the second Scorpio launched in certain markets.
The third-generation Scorpio, which is based on a new platform, was revealed last year and points toward a new Pik-Up being revealed around 2026.
A Mahindra Australia spokesperson told CarExpert “[the company] would be putting [its] hand up for it”.
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Scorpio
The new Scorpio six-seat body-on-frame SUV just launched in Australia and will be followed by a sleeker-looking XUV700 seven-seater SUV later this year.
Beyond Mahindra’s ICE vehicles, the company is working on a series of five electric vehicles (EVs). The first of these models will go on sale in India by the end of 2024.
Mahindra Automotive Australia marketing manager James Halliwell recently told local media the company will “evaluate some of those models for this market” and will likely launch an EV here around 2025 or 2026.
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