Refreshed Mahindra Roxor to sport all-new design

Mahindra & Mahindra is working on a new-look Roxor that will help distance the off-roader from Jeeps, old and new. Autocar India, sister magazine of Autocar Professional, has revealed a teaser image that partially shows the Roxor's new looks.

As is known, the Roxor is Mahindra's off-roader that falls under the side-by-side category in the North American market. It is built in Auburn Hills, Michigan by Mahindra Automotive North America (MANA), which is Mahindra's subsidiary in the US.

The off-roader is based on the now-discontinued first-gen Mahindra Thar and shares almost all of its underpinnings and its running-gear. While the Roxor has developed its own following in the US market, with its back-to-basics charm and a long list of customisation options, the off-roader has also been plagued with multiple lawsuits filed by Jeep parent company FCA over similarities with its own designs. 

What’s new on the updated Roxor?
While details are scarce as of now, a teaser confirms that Mahindra will finally ditch the Roxor's Jeep-like looks for a clean sheet design. The updated off-roader will have a wider bonnet, with wheel wells incorporated within, just like conventional SUVs. The overall design seems to be given a retro-theme and thanks to a wider nose, the gap between the headlamps is now much larger.

The off-roader will come with a plastic surround border of a contrasting colour that runs across the front and the headlamps, similar to the one seen on the outgoing model. The new Roxor's grille is designed in a way where it narrows down as it meets the bumper, thus leaving the tyres exposed upfront, similar to the earlier model. Apart from these changes, expect Mahindra to throw in some more tweaks to the Roxor to make it look unique. 

The Roxor is available with a 2.5-litre diesel engine, which is quite similar to the 2.5-litre Di engine that was available in many Mahindra models in India, including the Thar. Two gearbox choices are on offer – a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic.

As far as off-road gear goes, the 2020 Roxor comes with a two-speed transfer case, full-floating axles with upgraded 5.38:1 gearing, leaf springs, disc brakes up front and drum brakes at the rear. Along with the standard 16-inch wheels, there’s up to seven paint shade options to choose from.

The Roxor is currently priced at US$ 15,999 (about Rs 11.95 lakh) for the five-speed manual variant; the automatic version costs US$ 16,999 (approximately Rs 12.70 lakh) in the North American domestic market (ex-showroom).

Mahindra's new model plan for India
Mahindra & Mahindra has been working on multiple new model launches for the Indian market. The company is gearing up for the market launch of the all-new second-gen Thar, which will take place in the coming months. Additionally, upgraded BS6 versions of the TUV300 and the Alturas G4 are also in the pipeline. As far as electric vehicles go, the company will introduce the eKUV100 and the eXUV300 in the Indian market in the near future.