It looks like a Mahindra Thar without a roof and doors. It even has the same engine specifications as the base model Mahindra Thar in India. But it’s called the Mahindra Roxor, which will be exclusively made and sold in the US market, as an off-road vehicle. It is not street legal, and will instead compete with all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) like the Polaris.
The Roxor will be made by Mahindra Automotive North America (MANA) in Metro Detroit, Southeast Michigan, at a large 400,000 square foot plant. The Roxor is expected to create a new sub-segment in the side-by-side power-sports ATV segment.
So why does it look like a Mahindra Thar, without a windscreen, roof and doors? Because it is. It is based on the same ladder-frame chassis and steel body tub of the Mahindra Thar. The Thar itself traces its routes back to the Jeep CJ5 – hence, the uncanny resemblance.
Just so that Fiat Chrysler which owns the Jeep brand doesn’t sue Mahindra for design patents, the grille on the Roxor has been altered to a 5-slat design from the original 7-slat one that is a Jeep trademark.
Mahindra had a tie-up with Jeep (Willys) back in the 1960s to make vehicles for the Asian market under licence. The design dates back to those times.
Powering the Roxor is a 2.5 litre turbo-diesel engine that puts out 64PS of power and 195 Nm of torque. It comes with an “automotive-style” five-speed manual transmission with part-time four-wheel drive and a low-range gearbox.
It has non-independent front and rear suspension with leaf-springs all around. The front has disc brakes, while the rear has drums. It has a towing capacity of 3,960 pounds (about 1,800 Kg), which will make it pretty good for farm duties. Top-speed is limited to 72 kmph (45 mph) for legal reasons.
These specifications may seem pretty unique for the US market – one that is mainly dominated by petrol-powered ATVs (which are mainly two-cylinder units), but in fact, it’s taken straight out of the base Mahindra Thar DI parts bin in India. Knock off the doors, remove the windscreen, put in a roll-cage and you’ve got yourself a Roxor.
There is no official word out about the pricing of the Mahindra Roxor in the US, but it is expected to be pretty competitive at about $15,000. The Roxor will be sold through a series of powersports dealerships, as it is an off-road vehicle. It will also be offered to the US Postal service.
Don’t expect it in India, oh, wait, we already have it in the form of the Thar.
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