Mahindra Thar Reviews

It has never been a better time to buy an SUV with seven-seats, with a range of options across all price ranges.But if you're looking for a seven-seater, but don’t want to spend any more than about $45K? We’ve got you covered.Here are the five most affordable seven-seater SUVs on sale in Australia.The MG QS is last on our list for affordability but first on our list for practicality thanks to its giant five-metre length, which offers more third-row room than the others here. The QS is a proper larger SUV, while the others here are on the smaller side of large.The price of $46,990 is a drive-away offer too, so the value is still outstanding. We have tested the MG QS and liked the roominess, the hefty list of standard features and the 10-year warranty.  Things we didn't like include the fairly small petrol engine, which has to work hard to carry this big car around. We also felt the cabin stying looks great, but some of the materials felt a bit cheap. The Mitsubishi Outlander has been around for decades and has been a stalwart in driveways of Aussie families. A low list price of $42,540 for this entry grade is also good to see. We tested the Outlander and liked its value for money and good looks, but found the third row to be cramped and the CVT transmission to offer lacklustre performance. The Nissan X-Trail is not only one of the original mid-sized SUVs that’s been around for more than 25 years but for a long time it was one of just a few that offered seven seats.The new X-Trail is one of the best SUVs here and it's wonderful to see it priced so affordable at a list price of $41,305.Of course we have tested it and liked the ride comfort and good handling, but we noted that the spare wheel is under the third row seats and little things like the sound system quality weren’t as good as some rivals.Chery has returned to Australia with an array of excellent vehicles and the Tiggo 8 is no exception. At just over 4.7m long the Tiggo 8 is classed as a large SUV, although that’s still not huge.We’ve tested it and liked the quality of the interior, the amount of features for this $41,990 drive-away price and the good ride. We prefer the super hybrid version of this SUV, which offers better fuel economy although the price tag is more than this petrol version.Indian car maker Mahindra makes a pretty compelling proposition here with the XUV 700, which is our cheapest seven-seater SUV at $36,990 drive-away for the AX7 entry grade.The AX7 is considered a mid-sized SUV at just under 4.7m long.We’ve tested it and liked the punchy 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, the mountain of standard features for the price, but felt the interior quality could be better and the ride and handling wasn’t exactly great.

Mahindra has globally revealed its latest ute ahead of a launch in its domestic market in April 2027.Dubbed the Mahindra Lifestyler for export markets, the name is a departure from Pik-Up that had been used on the previous-generation model that dates back to 2006. It will be called the Scorpio Lifestyler in India.This new dual-cab ute is aimed at export markets, including not only Australia and New Zealand, but also South Africa, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.It will go up against top-selling rivals the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara, among others.At this stage Mahindra hasn’t confirmed Australian launch timing of the Lifestyler, but it’s expected that export market launches will follow after the Indian launch in April 2027.Mahindra hasn’t provided many details about the Lifestyler just yet, however it’s confirmed to have a new-generation body-on-frame architecture. It’s understood this is shared with the current Scorpio SUV.It’s unclear what will be under the bonnet just yet, but given componentry is expected to be shared with the Scorpio, a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, six-speed automatic and part-time four-wheel drive is likely.In other markets the Scorpio is also offered with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, six-speed manual and rear-wheel drive, but it’s unclear whether these will be offered in the Lifestyler.At its reveal the Indian carmaker chose to show off the Lifestyler in three different versions, including the Valley Edition, Reef Edition and Trail Edition. All show different ways this ute can be set-up with functional or aesthetic accessories.Mahindra hasn’t revealed any photographs of the Lifestyler’s interior yet, it published some computer-generated imagery that gives us a clear indication of what to expect.The centrepiece of the cabin is a new vertically oriented touchscreen multimedia system with a bank of physical buttons for the climate control underneath. It’s very reminiscent of the current Ford Ranger.Other interior notes include a digital instrument cluster, a squared-off steering wheel with prominent buttons, scroll wheels and switches, as well as an electric park brake and large drive mode dial.At this stage Mahindra Automotive Australia hasn’t confirmed specific launch timing for the new Lifestyler yet.It will launch in India in April 2027 with a starting price under 1.98 million Indian Rupee (~A$29,300). This makes it 610,000 Indian Rupee (~A$9000) higher than the entry-level Scorpio in the domestic market.Australian pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, however it’s expected to be more expensive than the Indian-specification model and will likely come with more equipment as standard. The most affordable Scorpio is currently $43,990 drive-away in Australia.The international launches of the Mahindra Lifestyler are expected to be staggered after the Indian launch, however Australia has been identified as a key export market for the ute.

Mahindra has expanded its XUV 3XO range in Australia with the introduction of the limited run Black Anniversary edition to celebrate the small SUV being on sale locally for a year.The special edition joins the existing AX5L and AX7L variants and adds exclusive black styling while retaining the same equipment as the top-of-the-range AX7L.Limited to 300 units and with a driveaway price of $27,990 the Anniversary Edition now sits at the top of the 3XO line-up, priced from $27,990 drive-away. All variants of the 3XO are powered by the same 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 82kW/200Nm driving the front-wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.This combination consumes 6.5L/100km on the combined cycle.AX5L grade:16-inch alloy wheelsLED headlights and LED daytime running lights10.25-inch digital instrument cluster10.25-inch media touch screenWireless apple carplayWireless Android AutoDual-zone climate controlSix-speaker stereoSurround view cameraBlack cloth seatsPush-button start AX7L grade in addition to the AX5L’s features:17-inch alloy wheelsHarman Kardon seven-speaker stereoPanoramic glass roofLeatherette upholsteryLED front fog lampsCooled glove box Black Anniversary Edition grade in addition to the AX7L’s features:Gloss black 17-inch alloy wheels Black exterior finishMatte gray roofBody coloured grilleDark wheel centre capsBlack badgingAluminium scuff platesRear luggage trayOptional Stealth Black paint: $490 The Mahindra XUV 3X0 maintains the usual array of active safety equipment like auto emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, as well as traffic sign recognition, a 360-degree camera, and an array of six airbags.Mahindra covers the XUV 3XO with: a seven-year/150,000km warranty; seven years of roadside assistance; and six-years of capped price servicing which comes to a total of $1994.

Affordable cars from China have overrun the Australian market, forcing once favourites from Japan out of the top-10, and putting pressure on the rest hailing from South Korea to Europe.Yet amongst this, one Indian manufacturer is hoping to ride the affordable Chinese wave as an alternative.Mahindra has had a resurgence in Australia, releasing an array of surprisingly competitive new products as part of a renewed global push toward a wider audience.The car we’ve nabbed for this long-term test, the oddly-named XUV 3X0 is the brand’s latest.It’s a crossover SUV which represents the entry-point to the Mahindra line-up, starting from a very keen $23,990, drive-away.As rival Chinese brand Chery might know, though, just being affordable isn’t enough. The cars have to be good, too.Does the XUV 3X0 have what it takes or will you be wishing you spent a little more? Read on to see what I found in my first month.Okay, let’s set the scene before we get into impressions. You can have one of these from the aforementioned starting price, but the one we have is top of the two-variant range, the AX7L, which is priced at $26,990, drive-away.For exactly the same money, you could get into the best selling Chery Tiggo 4, also in top-spec Ultimate form, with the larger MG ZS Turbo (basic Vibe form, $25,990, drive-away), and Haval Jolion (basic Premium form, $26,990, drive-away) also options.If you’re looking for something from a longer established brand, your options include the ageing Hyundai Venue (auto - $25,750, before on-roads) or the Suzuki Fronx ($28,990, before on-roads), both of which are more size-appropriate in this city crossover space.So your choices are a larger, better equipped car from China, an older car from Korea, or a more expensive car from Japan.Some food for thought is the equipment list, which stays just on the right side of good, with a few omissions.The 3X0 ticks all the key boxes - 17-inch alloys, LED headlights, synthetic leather interior trim, dual 10.25-inch screens for the digital dash and the multimedia touchscreen, wireless phone connectivity and charging, as well as a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree parking camera, and Harman Kardon premium audio on this top-spec one.It might not have a few luxuries such as heated and power adjusting seats like a high-spec Tiggo 4 for example, but for a small basic car it feels the part.Looking at the 3X0 from the outside, I’m pretty impressed with its sharp design. From a brand once known for its particularly hideous takes on the standard SUV archetypes, the 3X0 is maybe its best looking car yet, featuring sharp contemporary headlight designs, a cohesive design front to rear (the larger Scorpio is yet to feel so tidy), angular design motifs with some nice highlight detailing and trendy touches like the two-tone roof and diamond-cut alloys.You could hardly tell from the outside that the 3X0 is an older Korean car underneath. Yep, that’s right, the 3X0 can trace its underpinnings back to the SsangYong Tivoli thanks to the South Korean automaker’s time being owned by Mahindra.It’s much more obvious inside, where some switchgear is identical to the SsangYong, while other bits, like the lower portion of the centre console also share a familiarity.The digital dash and multimedia touchscreen, however, feel much more modern, giving the cabin an up-to-date touch courtesy of Mahindra’s latest software, which is easy to use.Aesthetically, the screens are pretty much the only thing keeping the 3X0’s interior in this decade, with old-school plastics and too much of the much-maligned piano black cladding the dash, but there’s something refreshing about the simplicity of it all.Those paying attention would have noticed the glorious abundance of buttons and dials making everything in this car easy to control and proving you can still build an affordable car without hiding all the climate functions in touchscreen sub-menus.My initial impression continues behind the wheel where the 3X0 feels like a car from 10 years ago but somehow in a good way.Let me explain. Too many compact SUVs in this class are dynamically a mess and dull to steer thanks to their continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), or are otherwise unintuitive in daily traffic thanks to fuel-saving dual-clutch automatics.Generally, you have to splash for something more expensive or to a hybrid to make many options in this class nice to drive.Not so in the 3X0. Don’t get me wrong, this car isn’t particularly special in what it offers, but it’s the refreshingly straightforward combination of a gruff little 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine (82kW/200Nm) and a real old-school six-speed automatic transmission which makes it a surprising pleasure to steer.Its relative light weight and firm suspension keep it tidy in the corners, while little boosts of turbo surge are enough to put a smile on your face without getting out of sorts.Even the steering is a straightforward power assisted set-up without an annoying amount of artificial software weighting as in some of its Chinese rivals.I even found myself not needing to scroll through a bunch of sub-menus to turn off the usual array of poorly-calibrated safety systems. The 3X0 either doesn’t have them, or they’re not annoying enough to warrant turning off.In a way, this is a brand new car for someone who wants an old car. Tired of the annoyances of many modern vehicles, the 3X0 is a fun, basic little car to hop into as a palette cleanser.Our little crossover isn’t doing so great on the fuel consumption front. According to my calculations (which I had to do because the computer only shows the consumption in km/L rather than L/100km), the 3X0 is drinking around 7.4L/100km which is too high for such a compact unit.Perhaps it's the fact I drive it a little more aggressively than I would otherwise, as I try to push the turbo surge and resulting fun out of the meagre 82kW on offer, but it’s still a number I’d expect to see out of an older non-turbo model.One cost of having a six-speed auto, it seems, is driving style will weigh more heavily on how much fuel you use.It’s also a bit of bill shock having to refuel this car sooner than expected and during a fuel crisis. The roughly 450km travelled on my first tank of fuel cost me a whopping $61.33 at the pump, three times what it might cost me to travel the same distance in a larger EV.Next month we’ll talk about practicality, some quirks I’ve found and see if we can drill down on that fuel consumption a little more.Acquired: June 2026Distance travelled this month: 446kmOdometer: 6880kmAverage fuel consumption this month: 7.4L/100km

A new cut-price EV has been spied testing in Australia and this one isn’t from China.CarsGuide spotted an example of Indian carmaker Mahindra’s XEV 9e being tested on the streets of Melbourne, pointing to a likely local launch in the not-too-distant future.Mahindra’s Australian arm would not comment on the future of the electric SUV but CarsGuide understands it could be in showrooms before Christmas.The XEV 9e - the company’s first EV offered in Australia - is a tall, imposing car in the metal, with a high-set boxy rear end, sloping tailgate and squared off front end. It measures 4790mm long, 1905mm wide and 1690mm tall, with a 2775mm wheelbase.A Mahindra Australia spokesperson said the company regularly tests future models Down Under.Mahindra conducts suspension and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) testing on internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in Australia, while the company also does calibration testing on EVs. That work involves testing for charging infrastructure compatibility and over-the-air updates and telecommunications networks.Mahindra told CarsGuide back in July last year it was “committed to selling EVs in Australia in the not-too-distant future”, and while the company couldn’t officially confirm the models at the time, a spokesperson added “the BE 6e and XEV 9e are a good indication”.The XEV 9e is a rival for medium-sized Chinese-made electric SUVs like the BYD Sealion 7, Zeekr 7X, Tesla Model Y, Kia EV5 and the freshly launched MG S6 EV.Pricing is a mystery at this stage but you can bet Mahindra will maintain its strategy of undercutting all mainstream and many Chinese brands.Looking at rivals, the BYD Sealion 7 starts from $54,990 before on-road costs and the Kia EV5 is $56,770. But expect the Mahindra to start from the low-to-mid-$40,000 mark, not far off the smaller Geely EX5 (from $41,990 BOC).Both the XEV 9e and the related BE 6 are built on Mahindra’s new in-house INGLO EV platform and artificial intelligence software, which Mahindra says is the “fastest automotive mind in the world”.Both models come with a choice of a 59kWh and 79kWh battery pack. Mahindra says the BE 6 has 682km of driving range and the XEV 9e has 656km when fitted with the 79kWh unit.The BE 6 has a more angular, dramatic design more inline with the look and size of the Subaru Uncharted. It’s unclear if both models or just the XEV 9e will end up in Australian showrooms.One electric Mahindra model that is unlikely to make it Down Under is the XUV 3XO EV that was revealed in January, with the company ruling the tiny electric SUV out for now.Mahindra’s current Australian line-up consists solely of internal combustion engine models, with not even a hybrid on offer. It includes the compact XUV 3XO, mid size XUV700 and large Scorpio off-roader. A new Mahindra ute is also imminent.As well as capitalising on the boom in EV sales spurred by high fuel prices, Mahindra is also likely to benefit from more EVs now that the Federal Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard has kicked in when the XEV 9e hits our shores.Keep an eye on CarsGuide.com.au as more local details, including pricing and specification, come to hand.

The Mahindra Scorpio now comes as one variant: the Z8L+. This 4WD wagon has seven seats, a stack of standard features, a low-range transfer case, an automatic rear diff lock and its price-tag – at just under $50 grand – won’t give your accountant a migraine. But no mechanical changes mean no more power and torque than before.

A number of popular car brands in Australia are at risk of paying fines in excess of $10 million for not meeting tightening emission standards if they don’t correct course quickly.

Mahindra has historically never publicly shared information regarding its Australian new vehicle sales figures, but it has given us a glimpse of how it fared during 2025.Last year the Indian carmaking giant sold a total of 4653 new vehicles, which is up 11.6 per cent year-on-year.This makes Mahindra the 29th best-selling brand in Australia, outselling Renault (4569 sales), KGM (4116 sales), Cupra (2830 sales) and Jeep (1585 sales).The brand hasn’t provided a model-by-model breakdown of its sales, but it now offers a total of three SUVs in Australia.Its latest edition was the XUV3XO small SUV, which launched in mid-2025. Mahindra claims its introduction increased overall sales by 42 per cent.The Mahindra XUV3XO is still tied for Australia’s cheapest SUV with the Chery Tiggo 4 and GWM Haval Jolion at $23,990 drive-away.Earlier in 2025 Mahindra launched a model year update for the Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan X-Trail-rivalling XUV700, which saw it receive an all-black interior trim as standard, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and ventilated front seats with memory on the flagship AX7L trim.Thanks to run-out offers the XUV700 is now priced from $35,990 drive-away for the AX7 trim and $38,990 drive-away for the AX7L trim. This makes it Australia’s cheapest seven-seat SUV.Just before the end of 2025 the Indian carmaker detailed a major safety upgrade for its Scorpio large body-on-frame SUV.It now receives a range of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) functionality that are claimed to be “designed for Australian roads and conditions”. These include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control with stop and go, front vehicle start alert, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane centring, traffic sign recognition, forward collision warning and automatic high-beam.The pre-update Scorpio went without all of the aforementioned safety features and notably received a zero-star ANCAP safety rating back in 2023 due in part to this. It’s unclear when or if Mahindra plans to retest this updated model.Other new features in the 2026 Mahindra Scorpio Z8L+ include an electric park brake with auto hold, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, as well as ventilated front seats.A seven-seat configuration is now standard with the six-seat configuration featuring second-row captain’s chairs getting the axe.Despite these changes, pricing for the Scorpio for the new Z8L+ trim has only risen $2000 over the pre-update Z8L range-topper. It’s priced from $48,990 drive-away.

Mahindra has thrown the covers off the electric version of its ultra-affordable 3XO small SUV in its Indian home market.

A new budget SUV has just been revealed. Indian brand Mahindra has unveiled its updated flagship seven-seater, called the XUV 7XO, which will replace the current XUV 700.It will start from 1.366 million rupees (around $22,500) in its home market of India. It will be available in two engine choices, which are 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 2.2-litre turbo-diesel variants, paired with either six-speed auto or manual transmissions. The petrol motor produces 149kW and 380Nm, while the diesel has 137kW and 420Nm, which rises to 450Nm with an automatic transmission.The petrol engine variant can go from 0-60km/h in under five seconds, according to Mahindra. The XUV 7XO is available with an all-wheel drive option.It is unclear at this stage whether 7XO will come to Australia, but it will likely replace the current 700 in the brand's local line-up.The XUV 700 starts from $36,990, drive-away and is only available with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, producing 149kW and 380Nm. The 7XO would be an alternative to the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro, which managed more than 3500 sales last year. Mahindra Australia has been contacted for comment as to whether we will see the updated budget seven-seater down under. The 7XO represents a big upgrade from the 700.It comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, a new sleek headlight and grille design and electric door handles.The car has undergone a serious revamp in the cabin, with a variety of new technology on offer. Most notably, there is a display spanning the full width of the dashboard, comprising of three high definition screens. Elsewhere, it has a 16-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system, featuring Dolby Atmos 3D surround sound technology to further provide high quality audio. Wireless charging comes as standard in both the front and rear of the car, while a sunroof and retractable rear shades add to the comfort for passengers in the back. The seats in the 7XO have also been significantly upgraded, with a new high-density foam and plush pads, along with front and rear ventilation.