Indian company Mahindra has revealed a new off-road vehicle for the US market today called the ROXOR and it’s unlike anything on the side-by-side market here today.
This vehicle is fundamentally different than America’s side-by-sides in a number of ways, including using a fully-boxed steel frame, a turbodiesel engine and a proper five-speed manual rather than a CVT, employing a real clutch pedal. And although it looks like a Jeep, the ROXOR is not street legal in the US, and for now, Mahindra has no intention to make it so.
As for the looks, the ROXOR looks like an old Jeep because it essentially is one. Mahindra began building the Willys CJ-2A under license in the late 1940’s to sell in India. Those licenses are still in place today, allowing this modern version of those old Jeeps to be sold. And unlike other markets where Mahindra uses a very Jeep-like seven-slot grille, here in the US, the brand chose to bring a five-slot grille, referred to internally as the “four-and-a-half slot grille.”
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The powerplant is a 2.5-liter turbodiesel that puts out 62 horsepower at 3200 rpm and 144 lb-ft of torque at just 1400 rpm. That engine drives the ROXOR to a top speed of 45 mph, while stopping power is provided by nine-inch disk brakes in the front and 11-inch drum brakes in the rear. Underneath, 16-inch wheels are wrapped in 235/70R16 tires.
Supporting the ROXOR is a leaf spring suspension in the front and rear along with off-road ready shocks. For overall size, the ROXOR is 148 inches long, 62 inches wide and 75 inches tall. It offers nine inches of ground clearance, a tow capacity of 3490 pounds and a curb weight of 3035 lbs.
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Two models of ROXOR will be available at launch, the base model and the upgraded LE package. The powertrain stays the same, but the LE offers a number of unique features such as a Bestop Bikini Soft Top, a WARN 8000 lb winch, a KC HiLites light bar, BFGoodrich K02 tires, AM/GM stereo with Bluetooth capability, a rearview mirror and grab handles.
By now, you have already noticed that the new ROXOR looks like a Jeep and that’s because Mahindra has been building the Willys Jeep under license since 1947, and this is essentially just a modern version of that.
Base models of the new ROXOR will sell for $15,549, while the upgraded LE model will go for $18,999. Those prices do not include a destination charge of $900.
The ROXOR will be built at Mahindra’s brand new manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, MI.
