Mahindra unveils Roxor off-road vehicle for US market

Mahindra has begun its American innings with the unveiling of its Roxor off-road vehicle. This is aimed at the two-seater powersports segment which currently has vehicles from KTM, Polaris and Kawasaki. It will be produced at Mahindra’s plant in Detroit, Michigan. 

The Roxor’s design is very similar to the Mahindra Thar which itself is based on the original Willys Jeep, an American icon and instantly recognisable when it comes to SUV design. You get a two-seat layout with a barebones cabin and no windscreen, though we suspect that the last one can be fitted as an optional extra. 

Powering the Roxor is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder diesel producing 62bhp/195Nm. You get a five-speed manual, low range gearbox and a locking differential as a part of the off-road package. It has a top speed of 72kmph and a towing capacity of 1.58 tonnes. 

The Roxor is an adventure vehicle and not road legal for use on American roads. It looks like the automaker is taking a top-down approach where it will appeal to enthusiasts and create a name for itself before making road legal vehicles. 

Commenting on the the Roxor, Rick Haas, President and CEO - Mahindra Automotive North America, said “The ROXOR creates a new sub-segment in the Side x Side industry and the response we are getting from our newly appointed dealer body has been really outstanding. We have a National Dealer Meeting scheduled on March 18-20th, in San Antonio, Texas, where we will sit down and discuss the roll-out and future product offerings. We are approaching our goal of 300 “1st wave” dealers and expect that we will reach this target between now and the end of the show.”