Mahindra Auto is killing it in the lifestyle traditional ladder frame off-road SUV game in the Indian automobile industry. It is so ahead of its game that as far as sales and popularity are concerned, immediate rivals are nowhere to be seen. However, there has been an influx of new monocoque SUVs that come with extremely popular nameplates.
It seems that the company is working on 2026 Thar Rocks and there is speculation that it may have a new engine. Test mules have been surfacing from time to time and they further fuel this speculation. There is a good chance that these new Thar Roxx test mules may pack a new engine option for this vehicle. Let’s check out the possibilities.
2026 Mahindra Thar Rocks spotted testing
Even though these upcoming monocoque SUVs are not a direct rival to the Thar Rocks in terms of their manufacturing, Mahindra could take a few steps to stay ahead and maintain its lead. With the Thar Rocks, Mahindra may launch a new engine option to keep the sales books going.
At the time of launch, Mahindra offered only two engines with the Thar Rocks – a 2.0L turbo petrol and a 2.2L turbo diesel. Both these engines also powered the Thar (3-door model). However, the Thar had a third engine option, which did not come in the Thar Rocks. We are talking about the 1.5 liter turbo diesel engine, which is currently available only in Thar.
This 1.5L turbo diesel engine is the last piece of the puzzle where the powertrain options for the Thar Rocks are concerned. Mahindra may soon launch the Thar Rocks 1.5D in the country and it may introduce a new base variant at a better price and several new variants of each trim level at a better price.
Currently, the base MX1 2.0 petrol MT 2WD variant of the Thar Rocks starts at Rs 12.39 lakh (ex-sh). If Mahindra is working on a Thar Rocks 1.5 diesel MT variant, then we can expect a significantly lower entry price than the MX1 2.0 petrol MT 2WD variant.
Could this be the AX7 trim?
Another interesting feature of this particular test mule spotted by automotive enthusiast Sibi from Chennai is that it has an unusual combination of single-pane sunroof and 19-inch alloy wheels. Currently, 19-inch alloy wheels are offered only with the AX7L and the recently launched Star Edition. Both those trims get a panoramic sunroof.
So, the combination of a single-pane sunroof and 19-inch alloy wheels suggests the possible launch of a new trim level. The AX7 is likely positioned between the AX5L and AX7L. Mahindra has not confirmed whether the Thar Rocks will get the new AX7 trim level or the lineup of 1.5L diesel engine options.