Mahindra Auto is gearing up for the Freedom Drive 2026 to be hosted on the occasion of India’s Independence Day on August 15th, 2026. Initially, speculations suggested that Mahindra will launch 2026 Scorpio N on 14th August and the Freedom Drive 2026 will feature the updated Scorpio N.
However, Mahindra just launched updated Scorpio N in the country and this has stomped on the speculations. However, new Thar facelift with Roxx-inspired makeover has been spied again and the latest spy shots from Cyrus Dhabhar and TopGear India show the design of the new alloy wheels. This suggests that the new Thar facelift might be the recipient of 14th August launch.
New Mahindra Thar Facelift
Mahindra Auto brought India’s lifestyle SUV segment back from the dead with the launch of Thar in 2020 and the rest is history. 6 years since its original launch, Thar got a minor update last year with tweaked interiors, but the facelift which was spied much before, has continued testing and is likely set to launch now.
It has to be noted that Thar and and Thar Roxx were both launched on August 15th as part of the Freedom Drive (2020 and 2024) and new Thar facelift might follow the same tradition and may be launched on 14th August, 2026 with many design elements inspired by Thar Roxx, as seen in previous spy shots.
Fuelling this speculation, Thar facelift new alloy wheel design has been leaked by recent spy shots. We can see that the core five-element philosophy has been carried-forward, those five elements are visually distinctive with a dual-tone finish and a more muscular aesthetic. They look like they’re 18-inchers, while the possibility of them being 19-inchers can’t be ignored.
Other prominent changes include a new front fascia, courtesy of circular LED projector headlights with C-shaped DRLs (from Roxx), a new front grille likely shared with Roxx, fog lights could be LEDs with cornering function and then a new front bumper is expected. At the rear, new LED signature in tail lights and tweaked rear bumper might be offered.
New Features, Equipment
The new test mule spied yesterday, seems to get a front camera for ADAS, which we hope it does. Other features expected with new Thar facelift include a 10.25-inch TFT instrument cluster, auto-dimming IRVM, ventilated front seats, automatic climate control, Harman Kardon audio system and other features.
Mechanically, new Mahindra Thar facelift is expected to continue with the same three engines as it does now. A 1.5L Turbo Diesel engine with B Segment tax benefits, a 2.0L Turbo Petrol and a 2.2L Turbo Diesel. The bigger engines are expected to continue with the same 6-speed manual and 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox options, while 4X4 transfer case will be optional.
