Mahindra Automotive has finally brought back its Roxor for the North American market. Roxor was a 4×4 utility vehicle, assembled by Mahindra Automotive North America (MANA), an arm of our very own Mahindra Group. Roxor hit the American market in 2018 but was soon discontinued, as its design was highly inspired by ‘Jeep’ off-roaders. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles or FCA, the parent company of Jeep, filled several lawsuits against MANA and the company had to cease production of the Roxor. But after two sets of updates in the design department, Roxor finally cleared all regulatory checks and is now ready to hit the market by next year.
Design
The Roxor is a side-by-side vehicle which means that it is only meant for off-road use and is illegal on the road. Its rugged nature comes from the boxed steel frame and steel body, which can handle almost any terrain you throw at it. At the front, Roxor gives a slightly modern retro look, with a wider nose and integrated fenders coupled with a new honeycomb grille with a streak in the middle.
Below that is the steel bumper with an integrated winch pulley. The design of this new-generation Roxor has a bare-bones element to it. The integrated fenders allow for more room, and almost all of the front and rear suspension is visible. The car comes in two variants; the base model with no roof but gets roll-over protection and the all-weather model with a solid top cabin closure.
Performance
There have been no mechanical changes for this version of the Roxor and it is still powered by the 2.5L turbocharged diesel engine, which puts out 63HP of power and 195Nm of torque. It is coupled with a 5-speed manual and a 2-speed transfer case. This car’s speed will be electronically limited as seen in the previous models to ensure safe off-highway use.
The car’s durability is made sure by the solid axles and the heavy-duty leaf springs. You get disc brakes up front and drums at the rear to give it adequate braking power. With more than one thousand five hundred kilograms of load-bearing capacity, this small-looking vehicle can pull.