The updated Roxor’s appeal goes beyond its styling. Mahindra’s wee four-wheel-drive utility vehicle benefits from improved off-road performance, thanks to shorter new 5.38:1 axle ratios that replace the prior model’s 3.73:1 gears. With the 62-hp turbodiesel 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine’s mighty 144 lb-ft of torque available from as low as 1,400 rpm working in tandem with the standard five-speed manual or available six-speed automatic transmission and two-speed transfer case (and 9 inches of ground clearance) the Roxor is a proper rock-crawler.
Unfortunately, off-road is where it has to stay, as the $16,599 Mahindra, which tops out at 55 mph, is not street legal. While the Roxor’s refreshed face might help pacify FCA, it won’t prevent authorities from citing individuals who dare to drive the little trucklet on public roads.
