Mahindra lost legal battle with FCA in the US. As a result, 2020 Roxor gets a new grille and some other cosmetic updates.

After completing around 2 years with the Roxor in the US, Mahindra has now brought in a mid-life facelift of the Thar based off-roader. The most prominent change in the Roxor is the new honeycomb grille which has replaced the controversial Jeep-inspired vertical slat unit.

Both, Mahindra and FCA have been at loggerheads due to the ongoing court-case related to Roxor’s Jeep-inspired design and looks. Fiat filed lawsuit against Mahindra for giving the Roxor, Jeep like grille. With the update, resemblance with the iconic Jeeps have gone down considerably. Hopefully, Fiat will no longer have issues. But, is the facelifted Roxor grille inspired by the 1977 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40?

Mechanically, there are almost no changes on the Roxor. It derives power from a 62hp 2.5 litre diesel motor which comes mated to a 5-speed MT and a 6-speed torque converter. As it has been classified in the ‘side-by-side off-road vehicle’ category, Mahindra has restricted its top-speed to 88kmph to ensure that it meets the required norms. As the current Roxor scores low on safety equipment, it would be impossible for Mahindra to sell the Roxor as a regular off-roading vehicle in the US.

Being an off-roader, the Roxor gets a 2-speed transfer case, leaf springs, disc brakes at front, drum brakes at the rear, 16-inch wheels and full-floating axles with 5.38:1 gearing ratio. Cosmetically, customers can customize their Roxor as per their taste. Mahindra offers 7 paint shades as standard color options. However, customers can further modify their vehicle either via Mahindra’s customization team or in their own garage.

The Thar-based offroader is assembled by Mahindra at its Auburn Hills, Michigan plant and is sold by MANA (Mahindra Automotive North America). Its standard 5-speed variant is priced at USD 15,999 while the one with the AT unit costs USD (16,999) – ex-showroom.

Back home in India, it was believed that Mahindra would unveil the next gen Thar at the 2020 Auto Expo. However, recent reports state that the Thar will be revealed sometime later, and not during the Auto Expo. The new-gen Thar is an all-new model with a new chassis and new 2 litre turbo diesel engine. From the spyshots, it has been clear that the off-roader has grown in size and will be commanding more road presence than ever before.