Off-Road SUVs With the Highest Power in Each Segment, 4x4 Engines Only

Counting only engines that are actually sold with four-wheel drive, the power leaders by segment are: the Mahindra Thar 2.0 petrol 4WD among compact 4x4s (119 kW, 330 Nm, from Rs 15,59,500); the Mahindra Scorpio-N and Thar Roxx diesel 4x4 automatics, tied at 128.6 kW and 400 Nm, among five-door ladder-frame SUVs; the Toyota Fortuner 2.8 diesel 4WD (150 kW, 204 PS, up to 500 Nm) among full-size SUVs; and the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 (227 kW, 700 Nm) at the top end. The Maruti Jimny is the least powerful compact 4x4 at 77.1 kW (104.8 PS) but the cheapest, from Rs 12,59,000. Among AWD SUVs without low range, the Grand Vitara, Victoris and Hyryder all make 75.8 kW.

The catch most power lists miss is that the biggest engine in a range is often not the one with 4x4. The Scorpio-N's 149.14 kW petrol and the Thar Roxx's 130 kW petrol automatic are both rear-wheel drive only, so they do not count here.

Power leaders by segment

Segment	Leader (4x4 version)	Power	Torque	Gearbox	Cheapest 4x4 variant with this engine
Compact 4x4, under 4 m	Mahindra Thar 2.0 TGDi petrol 4WD	119 kW (about 161.8 PS)	330 Nm	6MT, 6AT	Rs 15,59,500 (LXT MT)
Five-door ladder frame	Mahindra Scorpio-N 2.2 diesel 4WD AT	128.6 kW (about 174.8 PS)	400 Nm	6AT	Rs 24,39,249 (Z8T)
Five-door ladder frame	Mahindra Thar Roxx 2.2 diesel 4x4 AT	128.6 kW (about 174.8 PS)	400 Nm	6AT	Rs 21,67,000 (AX5L)
Full-size	Toyota Fortuner 2.8 diesel 4WD	150 kW (204 PS)	420 Nm (MT), 500 Nm (AT)	6MT, 6AT	Toyota price not available to us
Luxury	Toyota Land Cruiser 300 3.3 V6 diesel	227 kW (about 308.6 PS)	700 Nm	10AT	Toyota price not available to us
AWD without low range	Maruti Grand Vitara, Maruti Victoris, Toyota Hyryder	75.8 kW (103.06 PS)	139 Nm (Hyryder 136.8 Nm)	6AT	Rs 18,04,700 (Grand Vitara)

Prices are ex-showroom from Mahindra's and Maruti's own price pages, checked October 2026. Mahindra and Toyota print kW; where we converted to PS we say "about" (1 kW = 1.3596 PS). Toyota's online price list now sits behind a bot check that we did not try to get around, so we have no Toyota prices.

Compact 4x4s: Thar leads, Jimny trails

Compact 4x4	Length	Engine	Power	Torque	From (4x4)
Mahindra Thar 4WD	3,995 mm	2.0 TGDi petrol	119 kW (about 161.8 PS)	330 Nm	Rs 15,59,500 MT, Rs 17,22,500 AT
Mahindra Thar 4WD	3,995 mm	2.2 diesel	111.9 kW (about 152.1 PS)	330 Nm	Rs 16,42,500 MT, Rs 17,99,500 AT
Force Gurkha 3-door	3,965 mm	2.6 diesel	140 PS	320 Nm	Not verified
Maruti Jimny	3,985 mm	1.5 K15B petrol	77.1 kW (104.8 PS)	134.2 Nm	Rs 12,59,000

Mahindra's Thar brochure lists three engines and only two of them come with 4WD. The 2.0 mStallion petrol makes 119 kW at 5,000 rpm and 330 Nm from 1,500 to 3,000 rpm, and the 2.2 mHawk diesel 111.9 kW at 3,750 rpm with the same 330 Nm. Both 4WD versions get a manual-shift part-time transfer case with high and low range, an electronic locking differential and terrain modes. The 1.5 diesel (87.2 kW, 300 Nm) is rear-wheel drive only. On Mahindra's price list the LXT petrol 4WD is Rs 15,59,500 as a manual and Rs 17,22,500 as an automatic.

Force's brochure gives the Gurkha's 2.6-litre diesel 140 PS at 3,200 rpm and 320 Nm from 1,400 to 2,600 rpm, with a 5-speed manual and manual front and rear differential locks, which no Thar has. The 3-door Gurkha is 3,965 mm long. Force's website shows no price we could read, so it is ranked on output only.

The Jimny is the least powerful SUV in this article. Maruti's brochure rates the K15B at 77.1 kW (104.8 PS) at 6,000 rpm and 134.2 Nm at 4,000 rpm, with a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic, and every variant has ALLGRIP PRO four-wheel drive with a low-range transfer gear. It has a little more than half the Thar petrol's torque, and you will notice that on a loaded climb at altitude. What it offers instead is the lowest price of any low-range 4x4 here, Rs 12,59,000 for the cheapest manual on NEXA's price page, and a short, narrow body. For the full hardware comparison, see our best compact 4x4 SUVs.

Five-door ladder-frame 4x4s: a tie at the top

Five-door 4x4	Engine (4x4)	Power	Torque	Cheapest 4x4
Mahindra Scorpio-N 4WD automatic	2.2 mHawk diesel	128.6 kW	400 Nm	Rs 24,39,249 (Z8T AT)
Mahindra Thar Roxx 4x4 automatic	2.2 mHawk diesel	128.6 kW	400 Nm	Rs 21,67,000 (AX5L AT)
Mahindra Scorpio-N 4WD manual	2.2 mHawk diesel	128.6 kW	370 Nm	Rs 18,02,499 (Z4 MT)
Mahindra Thar Roxx 4x4 manual	2.2 mHawk diesel	111.9 kW	330 Nm	Rs 19,56,000 (MX5 MT)
Force Gurkha 5-door	2.6 diesel	140 PS	320 Nm	Not verified

The Scorpio-N brochure gives the 2.2 diesel 128.6 kW at 3,500 rpm, with 370 Nm as a manual and 400 Nm as an automatic, and limits four-wheel drive to the diesel. The Thar Roxx brochure lists the same 128.6 kW and 400 Nm for the diesel 4x4 automatic, with manual-shift part-time 4x4 and high and low range. So on automatics the two are level.

Manuals split them. The Roxx 4x4 manual uses the lower 111.9 kW, 330 Nm tune, while the Scorpio-N 4WD manual keeps 128.6 kW with 370 Nm, and it is also the cheapest way into either car's strongest 4x4 engine at Rs 18,02,499 for the Z4. The Roxx 4x4 automatic, at Rs 21,67,000 for the AX5L, is Rs 2,72,249 cheaper than the Scorpio-N Z8T 4WD automatic. Mahindra describes the Scorpio-N's system as 4XPLOR with selectable terrain modes.

The Gurkha 5-door (4,390 mm) uses the same 140 PS, 320 Nm diesel as the 3-door, and keeps Force's manual front and rear lockers. If you need 4x4 on a budget below these, our genuine 4x4 SUVs under Rs 25 lakh list covers every trim.

Full-size: Toyota Fortuner

Toyota's Fortuner spec sheet gives the 2.8 diesel 150 kW (204 PS) with 420 Nm as a manual and 500 Nm as an automatic, and lists high and low range, Downhill Assist Control and a lockable differential on the 4WD variants. The 2.7 petrol (122 kW, 245 Nm) is 2WD only. Toyota's price list was not readable for us, so we cannot give a 4WD price.

We did not rank the Jeep Meridian or MG's large SUV because we could not read a current Indian spec sheet for either. The Toyota Hilux shares the Fortuner's 150 kW, 500 Nm diesel, but it is a pickup, not an SUV.

Luxury: Toyota Land Cruiser 300, among those we could verify

Toyota's Land Cruiser 300 brochure lists a 3.3-litre V6 turbo diesel at 227 kW at 4,000 rpm and 700 Nm from 1,600 to 2,600 rpm, with a 10-speed automatic, in ZX and GR-S grades. The GR-S adds front and rear electronic differential locks.

It leads only among luxury off-roaders whose figures we could trace to an Indian maker document. Mercedes-Benz India's site refused our request on the day we checked, and we could not tie current India-spec figures for the Land Rover Defender or Jeep Wrangler to their makers' Indian pages. On global figures the V8 G-Class and Defender would probably beat the Land Cruiser, so treat this segment's answer as provisional. Our most capable road-legal off-roaders compares locker and axle hardware across that price range.

AWD without low range: the Maruti and Toyota trio

AWD SUV	Engine	Power	Torque	Certified mileage (AWD)	Price (AWD)
Maruti Grand Vitara ALLGRIP	1.5 K15C petrol, 6AT	75.8 kW (103.06 PS)	139 Nm	19.20 km/l	From Rs 18,04,700 (Alpha)
Maruti Victoris ALLGRIP	1.5 K15C petrol, 6AT	75.8 kW (103.06 PS)	139 Nm	19.07 km/l	From Rs 18,68,900 (ZXi+)
Toyota Hyryder AWD	1.5 petrol, 6AT	75.8 kW (103.06 PS)	136.8 Nm	19.20 km/l	Toyota price not available to us

These are monocoque SUVs with on-demand all-wheel drive and no low-range gear, so they are not off-roaders in the Thar or Jimny sense; they belong here because buyers shopping for "4x4" often weigh them up. All three use the same 75.8 kW engine with a 6-speed automatic in AWD form. Maruti's brochures give the Grand Vitara and Victoris 139 Nm, Toyota's gives the Hyryder 136.8 Nm, so the two Marutis edge it on torque. Maruti and Toyota call the system ALLGRIP Select and AWD respectively.

Toyota's live Hyryder page lists the AWD only as a 6AT, rated at 19.20 km/l; an older Toyota brochure still says "AWD (MT only)", and we went with the live page. Toyota's brochure lists hill descent on the AWD model.

The strong-hybrid Grand Vitara, Victoris and Hyryder make more combined power, 85 kW, but all three hybrids are front-wheel drive, so they do not count in this ranking.

How this list was built and what was not verified

We grouped off-road SUVs sold in India by segment, then for each one took only the engines its maker sells with four-wheel or all-wheel drive, reading power and torque from the maker's brochure: Mahindra (Thar, Thar Roxx, Scorpio-N), Force (Gurkha), Maruti (Jimny, Grand Vitara, Victoris) and Toyota (Fortuner, Land Cruiser 300, Hyryder). Rear-wheel-drive versions were excluded however powerful they are. Prices come from Mahindra's model pages and Maruti's price pages, checked October 2026, and are ex-showroom.

Not verified: Toyota prices, because Toyota's price list is behind a bot check; the Gurkha's price; the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Land Rover Defender, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Meridian and MG's large SUV, whose current Indian spec pages we could not read. Maruti and Toyota publish no ground clearance for the Grand Vitara, Victoris or Hyryder. Power is not off-road ability: low range, lockers, axle articulation and approach angles matter more on a trail, which is why a 104.8 PS Jimny can go places a 204 PS Fortuner will not fit. For the descent side of that, see off-road SUVs with hill descent control.

Frequently asked questions

Which off-road SUV has the highest power in its segment?

In compact 4x4s, the Mahindra Thar 2.0 petrol 4WD (119 kW, 330 Nm). In five-door ladder-frame SUVs, the Scorpio-N and Thar Roxx diesel 4x4 automatics tie at 128.6 kW and 400 Nm. In full-size SUVs, the Toyota Fortuner 2.8 diesel 4WD (150 kW, 204 PS). Among luxury SUVs we could verify, the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 (227 kW, 700 Nm).

Is the Scorpio-N's 203 PS petrol available with 4x4?

No. Mahindra's brochure lists the 149.14 kW petrol with rear-wheel drive only; four-wheel drive is offered with the 2.2 diesel at 128.6 kW.

Is the Thar Roxx petrol available with 4x4?

No. Mahindra lists the Roxx petrol (119 kW manual, 130 kW automatic) as rear-wheel drive only. The Roxx 4x4 is diesel, at 111.9 kW as a manual and 128.6 kW as an automatic.

How powerful is the Maruti Jimny compared with the Thar?

The Jimny makes 77.1 kW (104.8 PS) and 134.2 Nm, against 119 kW and 330 Nm for the Thar 4WD petrol. The Jimny costs less, from Rs 12,59,000 against Rs 15,59,500 for the cheapest Thar petrol 4WD, and every Jimny has low range.

Which is the most powerful 4x4 under Rs 20 lakh?

Among the prices we verified, the Mahindra Scorpio-N Z4 diesel 4WD manual at 128.6 kW and 370 Nm for Rs 18,02,499.

Do the Grand Vitara and Victoris ALLGRIP have low range?

No. Both use ALLGRIP Select all-wheel drive without a low-range gear, with a 75.8 kW petrol and a 6-speed automatic. In Maruti's range, only the Jimny has a low-range transfer gear.