Mahindra’s Thar Roxx Goes Ballistic! Anand Mahindra Announces ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) For Defence Forces…

Is the Thar Roxx not hardcore enough for you? Anand Mahindra has a solution! The chairman of Mahindra Group has just revealed the new Mahindra ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) as the latest addition to its lineup as part of its exclusive product range for use by defence forces. Based on the 5-door Thar Roxx, it brings a host of changes to make it properly military-grade and ready for combat. Let’s explore it in detail:

Purpose-built, Mission-ready

Right from the first glance at the machine, it is apparent that this is a purpose-built military tool, with a clear focus on utility over anything else. The design has slight hints that resemble the civilian Thar Roxx, but beyond that Mahindra has cut away everything deemed unnecessary.

Upfront, you get the iconic six-slat grille and the round LED headlamps and the flat bonnet with exposed locks. However besides these familiar touches, it gets a bonnet-mounted jack and a chunky steel bumper which gives it an aggressive approach angle to tackle any obstacle thrown its way. You also have a winch mounted on it, if somehow you manage to get stuck.

In profile, what you see is a bare structure that removes everything that is unnecessary to operate the vehicle. The doors have been replaced with rudimentary metal rods, and there is a custom rollcage that replaces the entire roof. There are no alloy wheels either and what you get instead are steel wheels with thick off-road tyres to enhance its capabilities.

The zombie apocalypse-ready theme continues at the rear-end, with a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, steel bumper and a dual jerry-can holder. It still gets the rectangular LED taillamps though that ties it in with its relatively civil sibling.

You also get some unique touches to make it more capable such as:

• A gun mount on top of the rear seat

• Complete underbody protection

• Windshield protector

• Airdrop-ready mounting points

An Interior? Barely.

While Mahindra has not shown or disclosed anything about the interior, it is safe to say that there’s not much of it given the lack of a roof, doors or most parts of the body. However, from the images we can see that it retains the black and white dashboard of the Thar Roxx. The seats are now more basic and covered with hard-wearing fabric focusing more on durability than comfort.

Brute Force

Being a military-grade product, we don’t have details about the ATV’s powertrain yet, but in practice it could employ the Thar Roxx’s 2.2-litre diesel engine for power, with the 6-speed manual transmission. Wishful thinking says the Roxx’s 2-litre turbo-petrol engine is also an ideal fit to tackle high-altitude and freezing temperatures on some of our borders. Here are both the powertrains’ specifications as seen in the Thar Roxx:

AT - torque converter automatic transmission, RWD - Rear-wheel drive, 4WD - Four-wheel drive

Notably, as the ATV is geared towards capability and utility, it may have a custom ECU tune with shorter gearing and a lower power output but stronger torque figures. Needless to say, a four-wheel drive setup should be standard too.

Get It Home For…Or Not?

Love the Mahindra ATV? There’s sad news because civilians won’t be able to buy it. Given all the modifications and security reasons, the ATV will be sold exclusively to defence forces and is not road-legal. Due to this, it is also hard to estimate its pricing and what the government would pay for one, given the bulk orders and the confidentiality associated with such deals. Till then, we can only hope to see one on the roads, and dream of one as a blank canvas!

Do you think the ATV is an apt replacement for the Defence Forces’ Gypsys? Let us know in the comments below!