With the Thar Roxx, Mahindra has now become the world’s first company to put 4-channel Dolby Atmos audio in an SUV, and you know what? They should as it is high time our off-roaders came with some proper cinema-grade sound! The boomy, bloated bass of lesser Harman Kardon stereo systems on other cars is nowhere to be found here, with this upgrade being available only on the top-spec AX7L model, turning what was already a pretty good Harman Kardon setup into something that will make your morning commute feel like a rolling concert hall.
Mahindra Thar Roxx Dolby Atmos
And for those wondering, the big deal is – Dolby Atmos is not just marketing fluff. It’s the same technology that makes you duck when helicopters buzz across movie-theater screens. To accomplish this, the system works its magic by adding “height” channels to the conventional surround setup, meaning that music really seems to move around the cabin and not just from left, right, front and back.
The Thar Roxx implementation of this 4-channel Dolby Atmos tech is with the current 9-speaker Harman Kardon set-up (6 speakers, 2 tweeters and sub-woofer). Mahindra has also baked the Gaana streaming service right into the infotainment, letting you instantly play Dolby Atmos-compatible tracks without having to scrabble with your phone.
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How Does It Actually Sound?
Now, let’s be real here. Okay the Harman setup in the previous Thar (Roxx-an included) was… okay. One critic rated it 6.5/10, adding that you needed to tinker hard with your phone’s equalizer and the quality of your streaming to get decent sound. The system was “good enough for a Mahindra OEM system, but that’s it,” wrote Team-BHP in a detailed review.
But early reviews indicate that the upgrade to Dolby Atmos makes for a game-changer. What the spatial audio effect also means is you’re not just listening to music, but experiencing it as it flows through the cabin. Whether this actually means dramatically better sound quality or just cooler audio tricks remains to be seen in practice.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t Mahindra’s first foray into premium audio. Now, they’ve added Dolby Atmos to their electric vehicles — the BE 6 and XEV 9e. However it makes sense in the context of the Thar Roxx, which consider the utilitarian SUV as a lifestyle vehicle that can be used as your primary vehicle for even a family, and not a dedicated weekend toy.
The timing is also curious. Note: Mahindra has also been ramping up Thar Roxx production to address those notorious 18-month waits; they’ve since come down to a more manageable six months. Some premium touches like Dolby Atmos add value and help make sense of the Thar Roxx’s price tag — ₹12.99 lakh and ₹23.09 lakh.
Should You Care?
If you were already looking at the top-end AX7L – equipped with things like a panoramic sunroof, cooled seats and Level 2 ADAS – the Dolby Atmos package is practically complimentary. There is no extra charge for this feature addition.
For music lovers who have bristled in the past at the state of automotive audio, this may be genuinely exciting. For everyone else, it’s a nice-to-have that’s more likely to impress friends than transform your driving experience.
The real workability of this system, though, will be when you’re actually bouncing up and down on broken Indian roads or tackling proper off-road terrain – that’s where the Thar Roxx is meant to excel. Superior audio is all well and good, but it’s gotta work when you’re not running on flawless tarmac.
Mahindra should be credited for playing ahead of the curve here. And making the Thar Roxx the first SUV in the world to have 4-channel Dolby Atmos demonstrates that they’re not messing around when it comes to premium features, even in what is, at its core, a hardcore off-roader.