After introducing the six-speed automatic transmission option in June 2019, the Roxor enters 2020 with different styling. The reason Mahindra switched from the Jeep-inspired grille to rounded rectangles is simple; Fiat Chrysler took them the Indian automaker to court over intellectual property infringement.
To make a long story short, the United States International Trade Commission said that FCA is right. The Roxor has been redesigned before the TIC finalized the cease-and-desist order, but Fiat Chrysler won’t be stopping here.
May 2020 is when the legal battle will heat up once again, but chances are Mahindra will prevail because the Indian automaker licensed the design of the original Jeep a long time ago. As for competing with the Wrangler for sales, that’s not actually possible because the Roxor isn’t road legal.
The off-road side-by-side built in Auburn Hills, Michigan at a $600 million production facility has a top speed of 55 miles per hour and doesn’t meet the safety and emissions regulations currently enforced stateside. In other words, you’ll be able to drive the 2020 Roxor exclusively off-road or on private property.
Pricing for the current model year is $16,999 with the five-speed manual transmission. The torque-converter automatic lifts the MSRP to $19,598, and if you were wondering, the Roxor can tow up to 3,490 pounds. Payload capacity is also impressive at 349 pounds given the curb weight of 3,035 pounds.
156 inches long including the spare wheel, the Indian side-by-side is exclusively offered with a 2.5-liter turbo diesel that produces 62 horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque. A two-speed transfer case, full-floating axles with 5.38:1 gearing, leaf springs, disc and drum brakes, 16-inch wheels in either steel or aluminum, and seven colors are also worthy of mentioning. If you want your Roxor a little more special, Mahindra is much obliged to offer “over 400 custom colors.”
Something that doesn’t make too much sense is the marketing in the following promo video. “The beast has arrived” and “the beast is loose” sounds like mumbo jumbo if you remember there are Hellcat-engined Wranglers out there.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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