Key Takeaways
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Ankit has been planning a Spiti run with three friends since February. He lives in Mumbai, drives perhaps eighty kilometres a week in normal months, and the car spends most of its life parked. The trip is the reason he is buying at all.
He had settled on a Thar Roxx. The brochure photographs show it on exactly the kind of road he is imagining, and his budget tops out around ₹19 lakh. At the dealership he was quoted on a variant he liked, with the sunroof and the big screen. He assumed four-wheel drive came with a car that looks like that.
It does not. On the Roxx, the petrol engine is rear-wheel drive only, and four-wheel drive exists on three diesel variants. The car he was quoted on would have reached Spiti perfectly well in good weather, and would have been the wrong car in snow.
That gap, between what a 4x4 looks like and what it has underneath, is what this guide is about.
What four-wheel drive does, and when it earns its money here
Four-wheel drive sends engine power to all four wheels instead of two, which keeps you moving when one or two wheels lose grip.
On a normal road, a two-wheel-drive car puts power through one axle. That is enough almost all the time, because tarmac gives plenty of grip. The problem comes when a wheel sits on something that offers none. Loose gravel, wet mud, snow, or a rutted track where one wheel lifts clear of the ground.
A two-wheel-drive car in that situation spins the wheel with the least grip and goes nowhere. A four-wheel-drive car can still send power to the wheels that are gripping. That is the advantage, and it applies wherever grip becomes uneven.
The conditions where it applies are specific. Serious use means snow, river crossings, steep loose climbs, construction sites and unmade roads in the hills during or after rain. Occasional use means a monsoon-season approach to a farmhouse, a beach, or a village road that turns to slurry for three months a year.
For a car that lives on city roads and highways, with the odd pothole and a flooded underpass in July, four-wheel drive may go unused for long periods. Ground clearance and tyre choice tend to matter more in that pattern of use.
4x4, AWD and 2WD, and why the label matters
The three terms describe different hardware with different purposes, and the showroom often blurs them.
Two-wheel drive sends power to one axle. On most SUVs here that is the rear axle, which is why a rear-wheel-drive Thar still feels like an off-roader until the surface gets difficult.
Part-time four-wheel drive is what the Thar, the Gurkha, the Hilux and the Scorpio-N use. The car runs in two-wheel drive normally, and you engage four-wheel drive with a lever or a dial when you need it. It usually comes with a low-range gearbox, which multiplies torque for crawling up a slope or through a riverbed. This is the serious setup, and it is the one people picture when they say 4x4.
All-wheel drive keeps all four wheels driven all the time and shuffles power automatically. It is tuned for grip on road, in rain and on gravel, rather than for crawling over rocks. Most AWD systems have no low range. Toyota’s own brochure describes the Land Cruiser 300’s driveline as AWD. That tells you how far the line between the two has blurred at the top of the market.
The practical difference is low range. If a vehicle has a low-range transfer case, it is built to crawl. If it does not, it is built to grip. Both are useful; they are not substitutes.
The advertised price is usually for a two-wheel-drive car
On most of these models, the starting price belongs to a variant with no four-wheel drive at all, and reaching 4x4 means climbing the range.
This is worth checking carefully before you choose a variant, because the advertised number sits on a car that looks much the same from the outside.
Mahindra’s own price list makes the point clearly. The Scorpio-N starts at ₹13,69,000 for the Z2 petrol. That variant is two-wheel drive. So is every other petrol Scorpio-N on the list. The cheapest Scorpio-N you can buy with four-wheel drive is the Z4 Diesel 4WD (E) at ₹18,02,499, which is ₹4.33 lakh further up.
The Thar Roxx works the same way. Its 2.0 petrol is rear-wheel drive only, and four-wheel drive appears on the 2.2 diesel in three variants, starting with the MX5. The Toyota Fortuner’s petrol engine is two-wheel drive only. The Toyota Hilux GX 4x2 has no low range, no electronic differential lock and no 2WD/4WD selector; all three arrive with the GX 4x4. The Isuzu V-Cross Z is two-wheel drive, and four-wheel drive starts a grade above it.
On three of these, the Scorpio-N, the Thar Roxx and the Fortuner, choosing petrol rules out four-wheel drive entirely. If you want 4x4 on any of them, you are buying a diesel.
The Maruti Jimny is the exception that proves how unusual this is. Its ALLGRIP PRO four-wheel-drive system is standard on every variant, so the price you see advertised is the price of a four-wheel-drive car.
What four-wheel drive costs on each model
The figures below are the cheapest variant of each model that genuinely has four-wheel drive, rather than the model’s starting price.
Model | Cheapest variant with 4x4 | Ex-showroom price | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|
Maruti Suzuki Jimny | Zeta Pro MT | ₹12,59,000 | ALLGRIP PRO, standard across the range |
Mahindra Thar OG | LXT petrol 4WD MT | ₹15,60,000, introductory | Part-time 4x4 with low range |
Force Gurkha | 3-door | ₹16,51,881 | Part-time 4x4 with low range |
Mahindra Scorpio-N | Z4 Diesel 4WD (E) | ₹18,02,499 | Part-time 4WD, diesel only |
Mahindra Thar Roxx | MX5 diesel 4x4 MT | ₹18,79,000 | Part-time 4x4 with low range, diesel only |
Isuzu V-Cross | V-Cross 4WD MT Z | Not published in the current brochure | Part-time 4WD |
Toyota Hilux | GX 4x4 AT | ₹33,69,000 | 4WD with high and low range |
Toyota Fortuner | 2.8 diesel 4x4 MT | ₹39,74,000 | 4WD, diesel only |
The Thar OG price is an introductory one, applying to deliveries up to 30 November 2026. Toyota does not publish Fortuner prices on its own specification pages, so the figure above comes from a motoring price report dated 13 October 2026 and listed in the sources. Confirm it with a dealer before you commit.
The Land Rover Defender and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class are both four-wheel-drive vehicles at a considerably higher price level. They sit outside this comparison, which covers the models buyers in this budget range tend to consider together.
The models worth knowing
Maruti Suzuki Jimny
The only model here whose advertised price is a four-wheel-drive price. ALLGRIP PRO with low range is standard on every variant, so there is no higher variant to climb to. That makes it the most affordable four-wheel-drive car on sale in India.
It is small, light and short, which suits narrow hill tracks. The same dimensions make long highway runs with four adults and luggage less comfortable than a larger SUV would be.
Its lower Insured Declared Value also makes it the least expensive here to insure, which is worth factoring into the running cost.
Mahindra Thar OG
The three-door Thar was replaced in September 2026, so figures published for the older car no longer describe what is on sale. The LXT petrol 4WD MT at ₹15.60 lakh is one of the few petrol four-wheel-drive options in this part of the market. That makes it worth a look if you want 4x4 without a diesel.
Force Gurkha
The Gurkha is built around off-road capability. Force publishes 233 mm of ground clearance and 700 mm of water-wading capability, and the three-door starts at ₹16,51,881. It suits buyers whose use is genuinely off-road, and it asks for more compromise as a daily car than the others here.
Mahindra Scorpio-N
The family option, and the one where variant choice matters most. Four of roughly thirty variants carry four-wheel drive, all of them diesel, starting at ₹18,02,499. For seven seats with four-wheel drive at this price level it is the main candidate, provided the variant is right.
The jump from the two-wheel-drive variant also raises the Insured Declared Value, so budget for a higher premium alongside the higher purchase price.
Mahindra Thar Roxx
The five-door Thar, at 4,428 mm long on a 2,850 mm wheelbase, which makes it usable as an actual family car in a way the three-door never was. Mahindra publishes a 650 mm wading depth, an approach angle of 41.7 degrees and a departure angle of 36.1. If you expect to use that wading capability, an engine protection add-on is worth reading about before the monsoon rather than after it.
Its four-wheel-drive system is a manual-shift part-time 4x4 with high and low reduction gearing, an electric locking differential and a front axle disconnect in two-wheel-drive mode. All of that lives on the diesel 4x4 variants only.
Isuzu V-Cross
A pickup, and a proper one, with a transfer case protector fitted to the four-wheel-drive variants and absent from the two-wheel-drive. The base Z grade is two-wheel drive, so the 4WD MT Z is where four-wheel drive begins. Airbag count varies sharply across the range, from two on most variants to six on the 4WD AT Z Prestige, which is worth knowing before you choose.
Toyota Hilux
The Hilux is where the variant distinction is cleanest to see. The GX 4x2 AT has no low range, no electronic differential lock and no drive selector. The GX 4x4 AT adds all three. The VX 4x4 AT adds downhill assist and multi-terrain select on top.
The 2.8 litre diesel makes 150 kW and 500 Nm through a six-speed automatic. The truck is 5,320 mm long with an 80 litre fuel tank.
Toyota Fortuner
A long-distance family option. The diesel makes 150 kW and 420 Nm with the manual or 500 Nm with the automatic. The petrol makes 122 kW and 245 Nm and is two-wheel drive only, so a petrol Fortuner does not have four-wheel drive.
Brake locking and real differential locks are not the same thing
A brake-based system slows a spinning wheel to redirect power. A locking differential physically ties the two wheels on an axle together. Only the second one is a differential lock.
The distinction matters because the first is cheap enough to fit everywhere and the second is not, which means brochures lean on similar-sounding names for very different hardware.
The Thar Roxx shows the pattern precisely. Mahindra fits a Brake Locking Differential to every variant, including rear-wheel-drive ones. The Electric Locking Differential, which is the real thing, appears only on the diesel 4x4 variants. So do the front axle disconnect and the selectable snow, sand and mud modes.
Toyota’s Land Cruiser 300 draws the same line higher up the market. The ZX grade gets a rear torque-sensing limited slip differential. The GR Sport grade gets front and rear differential locks, which is a meaningfully different machine on difficult ground.
When a salesperson says the car has a locking differential, ask which kind, and ask whether it is on the variant in front of you.
Do you need four-wheel drive?
That depends on where and how often you drive on surfaces that offer uneven grip.
Your situation | What you need |
|---|---|
City and highway, occasional potholes and monsoon water | Two-wheel drive with adequate ground clearance is generally sufficient |
Regular trips on unmade village or farm roads, especially in the rains | Four-wheel drive earns its place. A part-time system without low range is enough |
Hill driving in winter, snow or ice | Four-wheel drive with low range, and winter-appropriate tyres |
Serious off-road use, river crossings, rock crawling | Low range and a genuine locking differential, not a brake-based system |
Towing a trailer or boat on loose surfaces | Four-wheel drive with low range |
The styling matters more than the capability | A two-wheel-drive variant offers the same appearance for ₹3 to ₹4 lakh less |
Two less expensive factors affect everyday Indian road conditions more than four-wheel drive does. Ground clearance decides whether you clear a speed breaker or a rock. Tyres decide how much grip you have in the first place. A set of all-terrain tyres on a two-wheel-drive SUV will outperform road tyres on a 4x4 in mud.
Ankit’s Spiti trip falls in the middle of this. In June, on the usual route, a two-wheel-drive Roxx with good tyres would manage. In October, with early snow on the passes, it would not. His decision comes down to when he plans to go, and whether this trip is the first of many or the only one.
What to check before you sign
Walk into the showroom with a short list, because the specification sheet is where this goes wrong.
Ask which specific variant has four-wheel drive, and get the on-road price for that variant rather than the model’s starting price.
Check whether it is available with the engine and gearbox you want. On several models here, 4x4 means diesel and sometimes means manual.
Ask whether it has a low-range transfer case. If it does not, it is tuned for grip rather than crawling, which may be fine.
Ask what kind of differential lock it has, and whether that is standard on your variant or only on a higher one.
Ask for the published wading depth and ground clearance in writing. Several manufacturers do not publish both, and a figure quoted verbally is worth nothing.
Confirm whether the price you have been given is introductory. Mahindra’s Thar OG price runs to 30 November 2026, as one example.
Ask for an insurance quote on the exact variant you are buying, not on the model. The four-wheel-drive variant carries a higher Insured Declared Value and therefore a higher premium.
What a 4x4 costs to run
A four-wheel-drive version of the same model is heavier and mechanically more complex than its two-wheel-drive equivalent. There is a transfer case, a front differential and a propeller shaft that the cheaper car does not have, and all of them need servicing over the life of the vehicle.
Fuel consumption is higher as a result, from the extra weight and from the additional drivetrain losses. Manufacturers do not always publish separate mileage figures for the four-wheel-drive variant, so a single model-wide number should be treated with care.
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Why a 4x4 owner needs comprehensive car insurance
Third party cover is compulsory, and it pays nothing towards damage to your own vehicle, which is where the value of a 4x4 sits.
A third party policy covers injury, death or property damage you cause to someone else. It is the legal minimum and it protects other people. If your own vehicle is damaged in an accident, by fire, in a flood or by theft, a third party policy contributes nothing towards it.
That matters more on a four-wheel-drive variant than on most cars, for two reasons. The vehicle costs more to begin with, so there is more at risk. And the places four-wheel drive takes you, unmade roads, water crossings and hill routes, are where damage is more likely in the first place.
Comprehensive cover combines third party protection with own damage cover for your own vehicle. Own damage cover responds to accidental damage, fire, theft, riot, malicious damage, earthquake, landslide and flood, among the perils named in the policy.
Add-ons worth considering on a 4x4
Four of the available add-ons line up particularly well with how these vehicles are used.
Zero depreciation, which removes the deduction applied to the cost of replaced parts on a claim. Parts depreciation rises with the age of the vehicle, so this is most valuable in the early years.
Engine protection, which covers engine, gearbox and differential parts where damage follows water ingression or leakage of lubricating oil. Relevant if you expect to use a published wading depth.
Roadside assistance, which covers towing to the nearest garage within 50 km, a jump start, fuel delivery and minor repairs at the roadside, up to four calls in the policy period.
Tyre protection, which covers repair or replacement of tyres and tubes damaged by accidental damage or impact bulging of the side wall, settled against the tread remaining.
Two things to confirm with your insurer
Comprehensive policies generally cover accidental damage wherever it occurs, including off the road. Organised racing, pace making, speed testing and reliability trials sit outside the policy’s terms of use, so check the wording before entering an event.
And if you fit a snorkel, a winch, a lift kit or larger tyres, declare them. Accessories that are not declared and insured on the policy are not covered when something happens to them.
Conclusion
Ankit’s decision turns on what the car is for rather than on which SUV is best.
If the hills become a regular habit, two or three trips a year, the diesel 4x4 Roxx at ₹18,79,000 puts the capability where he will use it. If this is a single trip with friends, a two-wheel-drive variant with good tyres covers the same route in summer and leaves around ₹3 lakh unspent.
Either choice can be the right one, at a figure he can see on the price list.
The question worth answering before you visit a showroom is how many days a year you expect to need all four wheels driven. Where that number is meaningful, the variant matters and is worth selecting deliberately. Where it is close to zero, ground clearance and tyre choice deliver more for the money.
Whichever variant you choose, pair it with comprehensive cover. A four-wheel-drive vehicle represents a larger investment used in more demanding conditions, and own damage cover is what protects that investment.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest four-wheel-drive car in India?
The Maruti Suzuki Jimny, from ₹12,59,000 for the Zeta Pro MT. It is the cheapest genuine 4x4 because four-wheel drive is standard across its range, so there is no higher variant to climb to.
Is the Mahindra Thar a 4x4?
Some versions are. On the Thar Roxx, the petrol is rear-wheel drive only and four-wheel drive is available on three diesel variants starting with the MX5. The new three-door Thar OG offers a petrol 4WD from ₹15.60 lakh. Always check the variant rather than the model.
What is the difference between 4x4 and AWD?
Four-wheel drive is usually part-time, engaged by the driver, and comes with a low-range gearbox for crawling. All-wheel drive runs all the time, shuffles power automatically and usually has no low range. The first is built to climb, the second to grip.
Do I need four-wheel drive for Indian roads?
For city and highway driving, no. Ground clearance and good tyres handle potholes, broken surfaces and monsoon water. Four-wheel drive earns its place on unmade roads, in snow, and on steep loose climbs.
Can I get a petrol 4x4 in India?
Yes, though the choice is small. The Mahindra Thar OG offers a petrol 4WD. On the Scorpio-N, the Thar Roxx and the Fortuner, four-wheel drive is diesel only.
Does four-wheel drive increase my insurance premium?
Indirectly. The 4x4 variant costs more, so its Insured Declared Value is higher, and the own damage part of the premium follows that value. The third party part depends on engine capacity rather than drivetrain.
Is off-road damage covered by car insurance?
Accidental damage is generally covered wherever it happens under a comprehensive policy, but organised or competitive off-roading is commonly excluded. Check your policy wording before an event, and declare any modifications such as a snorkel, winch or larger tyres so they are insured.
What is a locking differential, and do I need one?
A locking differential physically ties the two wheels on an axle together so both turn at the same speed, which stops one spinning uselessly. A brake-based system is not the same thing. You need a real locker only for genuinely difficult terrain.
Are pickups like the Hilux and V-Cross worth considering?
Yes, if you need an open load bed and can live with a leaf-sprung rear axle and a long body. Both are proper four-wheel drives. The Hilux at 5,320 mm is longer than most Indian parking spaces are forgiving of.
Which 4x4 is best for a family?
The Scorpio-N for seven seats and the Thar Roxx or Fortuner for five, depending on budget. All three need the right variant, since the cheaper ones in each range are two-wheel drive.
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