I got a chance to go down to San Antonia, TX for the first drive experience of the new Mahindra ROXOR. The vehicle was an absolute blast to drive and super capable. Besides a pathetic sounding horn, an extremely poor turning radius and no dead pedal, there isn’t much to fault this little offroader on. My favorite part of this vehicle has to be the sticker behind the passenger grab handle; “Don’t Do Anything Stupid!” That is going to be hard advice to follow in this fun little off road adventure machine.
The ROXOR will be sold through powersports dealerships across North America in the side-by-side market. While not street legal, it is based on the original Willy CJ3, which Mahindra made under licence for the Asian market for over 50 years. It will be assembled in Auburn Hills, MI from a combination of a knock-down kit from India and a bunch of US sourced parts. Currently about 80% of the vehicle comes from India, but they are working hard to move towards a 51% US content goal.
It will initially be offered in base ($15,400) and limited edition ($18,400) models. The LE adds a host of quality upgrades; Warn M8000 winch, HD front bumper w/winch plate, windshield, Bestop Bikini soft top, MTX AM/FM bluetooth sound bar, roll bar mounted grab handles, rear view mirrors and more. A full compliment of additional accessories will also be available at launch, with even more impressive parts in the works, like; e-lockers, lift kits, beadlock wheels, etc…
A 2.5L inline 4cyl turbo-diesel powers the ROXOR, and offers plenty of low end grunt. The engine is amazingly quiet and smooth, and offers somewhere around 25-30 mpg. With the 12 gallon fuel tank it should have a range of over 325 miles.
The ROXOR is limited to 45 mph and a measly 349 lb payload capacity, but that is only because of the laws and limitations associated with being classified as a side-by-side or UTV. It is capable of carrying much more weight and with a little re-flash of the engine controller the top speed can be greatly improved.
A steel body and boxed steel frame should make this vehicle both extremely strong and durable. The iconic Willys CJ3 styling should make it timeless.
In the end, I think the ROXOR is going to fill a niche in the North American powersports market that has not yet been filled. I do think that the pricing is a bit high, as you could buy a wide variety of fully built street legal off road vehicles for less money, although those would be found on the used market. I can see the ROXOR being a great vehicle for ranchers, farmers, hunters and fishermen, and be enticing for serious offroaders, especially once some key accessories become available.
To check out everything Mahindra ROXOR Offroad yourself click on their website HERE.
