The Mahindra Thar Roxx has been crowned the 2025 Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY), surpassing the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire in the closest of margins in the award’s 20-year history and the Suzuki Swift hatchback to claim the top spot.
Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Managing Director of JK Tyre, presented the award to Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO of the Auto Division at Mahindra & Mahindra, and Pratap Bose, Executive Vice President and Chief Design Officer at Mahindra & Mahindra. JK Tyre has been a key supporter of ICOTY and IMOTY since their inception. To ensure transparency in the selection and evaluation process, Deloitte served as the knowledge partner.
The ICOTY Jury, comprising esteemed automotive journalists from various media outlets, including Auto Today, featured 21 members this year, including Yogendra Pratap, Editor of Auto Today, and Dipayan Dutta, Assistant Editor. Each jury member is allocated 25 points to distribute among five shortlisted cars, with no single car receiving more than 10 points. This system ensures a transparent evaluation process and prevents any individual jury member from exerting undue influence on the outcome.
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Launched in August 2024, the Mahindra Thar Roxx, a 5-door variant of the popular Thar SUV, has been well-received by Indian car buyers. The Thar Roxx secured a total of 139 points to win the title, narrowly edging out the runner-up, the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, which scored 137 points, while the Maruti Suzuki Swift earned 83 points. Other contenders for the prestigious award included the MG Windsor, Tata Curvv/Tata Curvv.ev, Tata Punch.ev, BYD eMAX 7, and Citroën Basalt.
The Mahindra Thar Roxx is priced from INR 12.99 lac to INR 22.49 lac (ex-showroom). It offers two engine options: a 2.0-liter turbo-petrol producing 160hp and 330Nm of torque, and a 2.0-liter diesel generating 150hp and 330Nm. Both engines are available with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. Key interior highlights include a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, along with advanced safety features such as 6 airbags and electronic stability control.
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