Mahindra’s tough-as-nails UTV, the Roxor, is currently on offer with 0% finance options and cashback deals ranging between $3,000 and $5,000, depending on the selected variant. The Roxor is not shy of controversy; from its introduction in 2018 until it was brought back in November 2021 after the International Trade Commission’s ruling that its revised design no longer infringed on Jeep’s trade dress, the Roxor has been making headlines for being Mahindra’s problem child in America. Since then, however, it seems to have found its market with off-roaders and farmers as an incredibly capable, robust, and honest little workhorse, leaving Jeep little to worry about when it comes to the SUV market.
Mahindra AG North America
Jeep Or No Jeep
While there are a few people who suggest the Roxor is a blatant rip-off of WW2-era Willys Jeeps, the fact is that Willys licensed the design of the CJ3B to Mahindra in 1947. The lawsuit claims that Mahindra violates Jeep’s trade dress with its vertical front slats in the grill with the Roxor’s 2018 and 2019 model year designs. Having now cleared legal trouble with a revised design, the Roxor has been on sale for a little under five years and offers a value proposition that very few, if any, side-by-sides can compete with.
Zac Palmer
Is the Roxor Really Better Than Other Side-by-Sides?
In a word? Yes, but only if we’re talking about rough, off-road, and farm use-cases. The Roxor will not win any races with 55 horsepower and a top speed limited to 45mph. That said, it is a tough, traditional, and capable workhorse.
Rather than plastic, it comes with a boxed steel frame and steel body. It is rated to tow 3,500 lbs rather than the 2,500 lbs that a similarly priced Polaris or Honda offers. It has automobile-grade automatic and manual transmissions, and not a CVT, which means the drive belt doesn’t burn out like with its competitors. The Roxor’s 2.7-liter turbo-diesel engine is a low-stress and proven motor that makes peak torque of 144 lb-ft at low revs and has ploughed for years on India’s dusty and cratered rural roads. In fact, Mahindra even calls it “The World’s Toughest Side-by-Side”.
The Roxor’s interior is exactly what you would expect: a flat steel dash with an array of analog gauges and a digital tachometer. In fact, until Mahindra introduced the All-Weather variant, it was impossible to get the Roxor with a roof from Mahindra. Upon reviewing customer feedback, the All-Weather variant now offers an enclosed cabin, AC, and heat. Really, everything you would need to get through a hard day’s work in comfort.
The Pricing
Here’s the hard pill to swallow. With a starting price of $22,244, it is not exactly cheap. In fact, you might be able to get yourself a tidy Jeep Wrangler for that much money on the slightly used market. Mahindra continues to run promotional deals on the Roxor throughout the year, though, so you could still get yourself a good deal on a new Roxor, considering a similarly capable Honda or Polaris costs about the same.
