It isn’t the first time I’ve been fascinated by a car.
But this one feels a little different.
The Mahindra Thar 3-door, now called the Thar OG, was launched on 22 September 2026. And guess where Mahindra chose to launch it?
My hometown. Jodhpur.
Now, do things just randomly happen, or do they sometimes seem to add up and point you towards something?
I don’t know.
But I do know that I have been thinking about the Thar OG ever since.
My love for driving started long before the Thar
I have loved driving for as long as I can remember.
I learnt how to drive when I was in 10th standard, but then came the difficult part — waiting a couple of years before I could actually have my first car.
I’ll probably write an entire article about my car journey someday because there is a story there.
But for now, let me tell you what I drive today.
My i20
I drive a metallic grey Hyundai i20 diesel, which I bought on 3 July 2021.
And I genuinely love this car.
It has been with me for more than five years now, and I’ve driven it roughly 75,000 kilometres.
My work also involves quite a lot of driving around the city. I roughly drive 50–60 km almost every day, so a car isn’t just something I own. I spend a considerable amount of my life inside it.
And yes, I still enjoy driving it.
So why am I thinking about another car?
Why diesel?
Diesel has always been a personal preference.
My previous car was diesel. My current car is diesel. And if I buy the Thar OG, I want that one to be diesel too.
When you drive 50–60 km a day, fuel efficiency starts mattering. My middle-class brain simply cannot ignore the fuel bill.
For me, diesel makes sense.
And that is one of the reasons the Thar OG RWD diesel immediately caught my attention.
Why not 4×4?
This one is actually quite simple.
I don’t need it.
I’m not a hardcore off-roader.
Yes, I occasionally drive through rural terrain because of work, but if my i20 has managed to get me through those roads, I don’t suddenly believe I need a 4×4 Thar to survive them.
The RWD Thar should be more than enough for the kind of driving I have in mind.
I want this car for trips, late-night drives, weekend escapes and simply because I enjoy driving.
Not because I want to climb mountains every weekend.
The Thar isn’t the practical choice
This is probably the most important part.
A ₹12–15 lakh car is entering a very interesting space.
There are plenty of practical choices around that money.
But the Thar OG RWD isn’t really a practical purchase for someone like me.
And that’s precisely why I like it.
My i20 is the practical car.
It gets me around the city. It gives me excellent mileage. It is comfortable enough, reliable and familiar.
The Thar would be something else.
It would be my secondary passion vehicle.
Sometimes you don’t buy something because it is the most logical option.
Sometimes you buy it because you simply love it.
Why the Thar OG?
First, I’ll admit it:
The OG branding is ridiculously appealing.
There is something about calling the original 3-door Thar the Thar OG that immediately gives it personality.
Then there are the new colours.
I’m someone who enjoys the little details of owning something, and the new colour options make the Thar feel even more fun to own.
The design changes work for me too.
I really like the new bumper and grille, especially the influence from the Thar Roxx.
The new LED lighting setup looks more practical, and the updated alloys add to the overall appeal.
But the change that probably matters most to someone like me is something less glamorous.
Electric power steering.
I drive a lot in the city.
So having electric power steering should make the Thar considerably more comfortable to drive around town compared with the older setup.
That makes a difference.
A car can look fantastic, but if I have to drive it 50 kilometres around Jodhpur, I also want to enjoy actually driving it.
What colour would I choose?
My first choice is probably Forest Green.
I’ve always liked that colour, and on the OG Thar, it just feels right.
But the new grey options are definitely worth considering.
I’m not going to decide yet.
I want to see the colours in real life first.
And I already know one thing — I won’t be the first person in Jodhpur to buy one.
I’ll happily wait.
Let other people bring them onto the roads first. I’ll see the colours in natural light, look at them from different angles and then decide.
AXT, LXT or ZXT?
Now comes the important question.
Which Thar OG variant would I actually buy?
AXT, LXT or ZXT?
For me, AXT feels like the variant for someone who is extremely passionate about personalising their vehicle.
Someone who knows what they are doing.
Someone who enjoys modifying, customising and adding their own touches.
That’s probably not me.
I don’t have the patience, knowledge or enthusiasm to turn my car into a personal project.
I want to buy it, drive it and enjoy it.
Then there is the ZXT.
It is the top model and comes with pretty much everything you’d want.
But would I spend another ₹1–1.5 lakh just to get those additional features?
I’m not completely convinced.
At least not yet.
Which brings me to the LXT.
For now, it feels like the sweet spot.
It gives me the cosmetic and utility features I actually want without making me feel like I need to start looking outside the showroom for additions.
Buy.
Drive.
Enjoy.
That’s more my style.
So, if I had to choose today:
Thar OG. RWD. Diesel. LXT.
That’s the one sitting in my head right now.
My i20 isn’t going anywhere — at least not in my head
The funny thing is that I’m talking about buying another car while still being genuinely attached to my current one.
I’ve driven my i20 for around 75,000 kilometres.
It has been part of my daily life, my work, my drives around the city and probably more journeys than I can remember.
The Thar OG wouldn’t be replacing the memories I’ve made with it.
It would simply be a different kind of car for a different kind of driving.
The i20 is the car I need.
The Thar is the car I want.
And sometimes, I think there is nothing wrong with that.
So, will I actually buy it in 2027?
Honestly, I don’t know.
Maybe I’ll change my mind.
Maybe another car will catch my attention.
Maybe I’ll walk into a Mahindra showroom, see the Forest Green Thar OG in person and immediately know.
Or maybe I’ll sit there calculating whether I really need another car.
But right now, I’m fascinated.
And perhaps that’s enough.
The Thar OG was launched in my hometown, at a time when I’ve been thinking more about driving, travelling and having something that I can simply enjoy.
Maybe that’s coincidence.
Maybe things really do add up sometimes.
For now, I’m going to wait.
I’ll watch the new colours appear on Jodhpur’s roads. I’ll see what people actually think of the new steering, design and variants. I’ll drive one if I get the opportunity.
And then, sometime in 2027, perhaps there will be a new car sitting next to my i20.
A Thar OG.
And if that happens, I already know what I’ll be doing.
Driving it.
A lot.
Are you a Thar enthusiast?
I’d genuinely love to hear what you think.
Would you go for the AXT, LXT or ZXT? Would you choose RWD or 4×4? And if you already own a Thar, what would you suggest to someone like me?
Drop me a message or say hi on Instagram. I’d love to hear from fellow enthusiasts.
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