Mahindra Thar Armada along with 6 other new nameplates have been trademarked by the brand for the upcoming 5-door Thar SUV. The brand has several new vehicle launches lined up for the next year and the most anticipated one is likely the new Thar 5-door version. Apart from the upcoming Thar’s launch, the new trademarked names are creating quite a buzz in the market, especially the “Armada” nameplate, which is actually a recall of an OG SUV by Mahindra.
Mahindra trademarks Thar Armada and 6 new names
The 7 names that Mahindra has registered are Armada, Cult, Roxx, Rex, Savannah, Gladius and Centurion. The selected name will be added with the “Thar” badge to denote the larger 5-door version. As I said earlier, the Armada is not a new name under Mahindra’s belt.
The Armada was originally the brand’s flagship product from the early 1990s with urban buyers being the target audience. It was like an Indian version of Jeep SUVs, borrowing heavy inspirations in the design department from them. This SUV served as a premium alternative to the barebones SUVs of the time. The Armada was eventually replaced by the Bolero in 2001.
The 5-door Thar will have its own unique identity that will set it apart from the regular Thar, and perhaps the “Armada” nameplate will suit Thar the best since the SUV resembles the OG Armada to a good extent in terms of design and concept. Also, “Thar Armada” just sounds better and has a nice emotional and nostalgic touch to it.
Mahindra aims to appeal this variant of Thar to those who are seeking a tough, rugged yet practical and comfortable SUV, similar to what Maruti Suzuki did with the Jimny 5-door. Test mules have hinted at a bit of altered design to make it different from its 3-door sibling. The Thar Armada will also get features such as a large 10.25-inch screen and a sunroof. Also, the longer wheelbase is also expected to improve the space in the second row and boot. The Thar Armada is expected to continue with the current 2.2-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol units paired with the same 6-speed auto and manual gearboxes.
Expect the 5-door Thar to debut sometime around mid 2024 and the pricing will likely be significantly higher than the regular Thar. The upcoming SUV was recently spotted with the Wrangler during test runs, and the former was seemingly making the latter look small.