New Mahindra Roxor Launched In North America

It gets modern styling while staying true to the original jeep form factor, still built the same rugged frame as the old Thar

• Mahindra Roxor is a North American offering.

• Built for use as a work tool on farms and ranches, not as a passenger vehicle for the road.

• It has the same underpinnings as the old Thar and a 4x4 drivetrain to be off-road capable and tough.

• Roxor is offered with a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel mated to a 5-speed manual with a low-range transfer case.

• Its base model doesn’t even have a windshield while a composite cabin is offered in the All Weather trim.

The Mahindra Roxor has resurfaced in North American markets with a fresh face but still based on the old Thar DI. It is classified as an off-road UTV (Utility Task Vehicle) with a 4x4 drivetrain, also referred to as a side-by-side by the North American consumers.

The old Thar-based Roxor was first launched in 2018 but was sidelined a couple of years later due to a legal dispute between Mahindra and Jeep. The latter accused the former of infringing its trademarked design as it was quite similar to the original jeep vehicle from the 1940s. The new design, especially the front fascia with wider bonnet does away with any possible similarities while staying true to the iconic shape of a do-it-all jeep. Even the International Trade Commission has also cleared the new Roxor of any trademark infringements

The Roxor is meant to be a work tool for farms, ranches and outbacks, and it is built as such. There are not many comforts to it and it is built to be simple, rugged and reliable. It has a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel from the old Thar DI, putting out 63PS and 200Nm, mated to a 5-speed manual with a 2-speed transfer case. The figures might seem low but it’s plenty for what the Roxor is meant to do: drive up/down/on/over pretty much any terrain. It also has a towing capacity of up to 1583kg. Like the Thar DI it is based on, the Roxor uses leaf spring suspension has standard.

There are only two trims for the Roxor - Base and All Weather, but both get a host of optional extras to choose from. As standard, this two-seater UTV does not even get a windshield, just a rollover frame around the passengers with some plastic mesh as the door flaps and a storage bay behind the seats. The All Weather trim offers some protection from the elements thanks to a composite cab enclosure with a windshield and doors, along with HVAC.

The list of optional extras for the Roxor is a fun one. Even if you start with the base model, you can add a windshield, rearview mirrors, a cloth cabin enclosure, Bilstein shocks, a 3-inch lift kit, a winch, off-road centric tyres, a 40-inch LED light bar and a stand for your hunting rifle. If you want to use it in snow, you can also opt for the Mattracks rubber track conversion that replaces the wheels.

Just in case you were wondering, here’s how the Roxor sizes up against the other modern Mahindra off-roader, the Thar:

The Roxor is similar in terms of length but it has no rear cabin at all. It is also much narrower which makes it easier to navigate through woodland areas. It’s perhaps more similar to the Suzuki Jimny in that aspect. 

In terms of pricing, the Roxor starts at the USD equivalent of Rs 14.07 lakh for the Base and Rs 19.58 lakh for the All Weather (excluding taxes/duties).