Here’s How Mahindra Has Veered The Roxor Away From A Jeep Knock-off

After what seems to be a long back-and-forth struggle between Mahindra and Jeep, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the former has managed to reintroduce the Roxor off-roader in North American markets with a fresh face. The original model had to be shelved a couple of years due to a legal dispute between Mahindra and Jeep where the latter claimed the Roxor resembled the Jeep Wrangler in almost every single design aspect.  

So what has changed in the revived Roxor to avoid another design infringement lawsuit? Let’s find out:

Wide Nose 

What’s immediately noticeable, is that the Roxor’s nose has gotten a bit shorter and a fair bit wider. This completely separates itself from the retro Jeep CJ-like face. This in turn has also caused the headlights to be placed wider than before.

New Grille

The wider nose also means the front grille is new. Now, it's a twin-horizontal slats with some honeycomb inserts complementing it. The grille now also tapers down towards what looks like a super skinny imitation of a front bumper.

Naked Front End 

Before, the fenders and bonnet were two separate entities. Now, the fenders are integrated into the rest of the body, which leaves a naked impression for the front end with the front wheels quite glaringly exposed as they are.

Any Mechanical Changes?

As it is based on the first-gen Mahindra Thar DI, no changes have been made in this department. It is powered by the Thar DI’s  2.5-litre turbo-diesel delivering 63PS and 200Nm, paired to a 5-speed manual with a 2-speed transfer case. Sure, these are low figures, but they’re plenty for what it's meant for, as it is classified as an off-road UTV (Utility Task Vehicle) for farms, ranches and outbacks. 

Engine performance aside, it has leaf spring suspension as standard like the Thar DI, and has a towing capacity of up to 1583kg. You can also get optional extras such as off-road centric tyres, Bilstein shocks, a 3-inch lift kit, and a 40-inch LED light bar.

Mahindra  offers the Roxor in the Base and All Weather trims at the USD equivalent price tag of Rs 14.07 lakh and Rs 19.58 lakh respectively (excluding taxes/duties). While we’re not expecting the Roxor in India, Mahindra has a host of models lined up for the future including the next-gen Scorpio which you can read more about here.