Mahindra Roxor: What Americans are saying about this SUV after heavy off-roading [Video]

The Mahindra Roxor is a lifestyle vehicle that has been squarely aimed at customers who go for vehicles, such as the Polaris RZR. The Roxor looks a lot like a slightly smaller Thar as it shares most of the design and the mechanicals with the popular Indian SUV. Here is a detailed video review that highlights the off-roading capabilities of the US-only Mahindra Roxor.

The review starts with the tester talking about the resemblance of the Roxor to the classic Jeep. He goes on to explain how Mahindra has been using the design over the years. For the Roxor, however, it has replaced  the seven-slat grille with a ‘four-and-a-half’ slat one. This helps the Roxor look slightly different from the classic Jeeps.

The Roxor is not street-legal but can be used as a lifestyle vehicle. The tester seems to be pretty impressed with the Roxor’s rugged underpinnings and the grunty 2.5-litre turbo diesel engine. The motor outputs 62 bhp-180 Nm. It comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission. A 2-speed manual transfer case helps you select between 2WD and 4WD and High and Low ratios.

The tester says that the lack of electronics and the basic hardware should appeal to all those who’ve always appreciated simple machines. The reviewer drives mostly in the ‘4 Low’ to easily extract sufficient power in the third and the fourth gears. In the first cog, the Roxor can easily climb some challenging inclines. The tyres offer enough grip and the torque on offer, in the words of the driver, is ‘pretty impressive’.

On the slopes, the Roxor can be easily managed using the engine braking. The tester loves how the ‘gearing and mechanicals’ can make the Roxor hugely capable without any help from any sort of electronics. The reviewer also talks about some rough edges like the gearshift feeling a bit agricultural and even a bit notchy at times. He says that the Roxor has a low centre of gravity, which helps it remain planted.

The reviewer also appreciates the small dimensions, which give you a feeling of having the Roxor wrapped around you. The size of the Roxor makes it really easy to manage the vehicle on challenging terrains. The tester also talks about the high seating position, which leads to a great all-around visibility. However, the tester says that adding some more weight to the Roxor might smoothen the stiff ride a fair bit. Overall, the reviewer seems smitten by the simplicity and high off-road capability of the Mahindra Roxor.

Video courtesy – Off-road.com on Youtube