The Maruti Suzuki Jimny is actually the newest addition to the Indian 4×4 community. Off-road enthusiasts have eagerly awaited this small, practical 4×4 SUV for quite some time. Since its launch, a variety of videos related to off-roading and modifications have been available online. Both the Mahindra Thar and Maruti Jimny are capable SUVs, and in a video, both vehicles are seen showcasing their off-road capabilities on a challenging stretch.
The video was shared by Anshuman Bishnoi on his YouTube channel. In this video, the vlogger takes the Mahindra Thar and Maruti Jimny to an off-road zone to showcase their capabilities. He begins with the Mahindra Thar, navigating it down a pit and attempting to climb up through a section that has been dug up and left uneven—a man-made obstacle to test the approach and departure angle of the Thar.
The vlogger’s Mahindra Thar goes in first. The rear bumper has been slightly modified to prevent it from hitting the ground during off-roading. The SUV smoothly climbs the uneven dug-up section. Following the first Thar, another attempts the same hurdle and clears it smoothly.
The Maruti Jimny enters third, and the driver is cautious as the SUV is still new. Once at the bottom, the driver simply pushes it, and the SUV climbs up without any issues. Afterward, all these SUVs attempt to climb a mud dune. The Mahindra Thar, due to its low breakover angle, is hitting the bottom.
The driver has to approach the climb with momentum to avoid hitting the bottom. After a couple of trials, the Thar successfully climbs this stretch. In contrast, the Maruti Jimny faces no difficulties in climbing up. The SUV is then driven through a mud trail with long bushes. Both the Mahindra Thar and Maruti Jimny perform admirably. As shown in the video, both SUVs are equipped with off-road-spec tires.
For anyone familiar with off-roading, the importance of these tires is clear. While the stock tires of the Jimny are more suitable for road usage, they struggle off-road. To truly utilize the off-road capabilities, changing the tires on your Jimny should be the first step. Both the Mahindra Thar and Jimny navigate narrow mud and sand trails without any issues. Even on tricky surfaces, both SUVs perform admirably.
The Mahindra Thar is available with a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine and a 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel engine option. The SUVs seen in the video were likely the diesel automatic versions. Mahindra also offers a 4×2 version with a smaller diesel engine. On the other hand, the Maruti Jimny is the lightest off-roader available in India, weighing around 1,200 kg, which is quite an advantage off-road. It is powered by a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine, offering decent low-end torque. It is available with both 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmission. Both SUVs have their advantage and disadvantages. Thar for example gets MLD which helps a lot while off-roading. The Jimny on the other hand only gets traction control which gets confused at times during tricky situations.