Mahindra Roxor UTV any thoughts?

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wdn

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It is featured in this months' Popular Mechanics. The Mahindra Roxor is a copy of a Jeep (looks like an old CJ7) made in Michigan by Mahindra motor company of India. It starts at $15,000. It is a full fledged 4WD with low range powered by a 4 cylinder, 64 HP turbo diesel engine. Interesting is they are selling it as a UTV (side by side) to compete with Polaris, Kubota, Kawasaki etc. as an off road only vehicle. By law in most states cannot be driven on roads and is electronic limited to 45 MPH but that can be hacked, and they will do 75-80. Weighs about 3,300 pounds or thereabouts. If I recall correctly it gets about 35 MPG

Apparently Mahindra is grandfathered by an old 1947 contract with Willys to build the design so it is not in any sense a counterfeit, it is legit. In India they are used on-road. Apparently you can ford streams in water up to the floor boards and it does not stall the engine.

Anybody own one? Driven one? Seen it close up?
 
Originally Posted By: wdn

Apparently Mahindra is grandfathered by an old 1947 contract with Willys to build the design so it is not in any sense a counterfeit, it is legit.


FCA disagrees with Mahindra on this:

Quote:
Mahindra has “engaged in unlawful acts...through their unlicensed importation, sale for importation, or sale after importation of... products that infringe and dilute FCA’s distinctive Jeep vehicle trade dress.”

“FCA seeks relief from the Commission in the form of a limited exclusion order, excluding from entry into the United States Accused Products that infringe the Jeep IP. FCA further seeks cease and desist orders halting Respondents from conducting any of the following activities in the United States: importing, selling, marketing, advertising, distributing, transferring, or soliciting U.S. agents or distributors for, vehicles that incorporate or display or are marketed or sold in connection with the Jeep IP or designs that are confusingly similar to the Jeep IP.”


https://jalopnik.com/jeep-is-trying-to-keep-the-mahindra-roxor-from-going-on-1828080605
 
Originally Posted By: MrHorspwer
FCA disagrees with Mahindra on this:

Quote:
Mahindra has “engaged in unlawful acts...through their unlicensed importation, sale for importation, or sale after importation of... products that infringe and dilute FCA’s distinctive Jeep vehicle trade dress.”

“FCA seeks relief from the Commission in the form of a limited exclusion order, excluding from entry into the United States Accused Products that infringe the Jeep IP. FCA further seeks cease and desist orders halting Respondents from conducting any of the following activities in the United States: importing, selling, marketing, advertising, distributing, transferring, or soliciting U.S. agents or distributors for, vehicles that incorporate or display or are marketed or sold in connection with the Jeep IP or designs that are confusingly similar to the Jeep IP.”


https://jalopnik.com/jeep-is-trying-to-keep-the-mahindra-roxor-from-going-on-1828080605


Man, the US is the place where the world gets it's IP
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I'll bet FCA is angry with that stupid name: Roxor? is this 2002?

I love this thing but it has to be a severely under-powered on-road vehicle, rather than competing with specialized UTVs. I'll betcha it is a tin can that can't pass crash tests, and I doubt it would get 35 mpg @ 75 MPH. It is sweet though, I wanted a kei truck bad at one point but they were so expensive. This would be even better than that, it would be perfect for city driving.
 
I was thinking of getting one and puttng a Tractor license plate which you can get here in NH.

In the Popular Mechanics article it speculate the Roxor could not pass some sort of safety test clearly it has neither airbags nor a roll bar. My hunch is it would destroy a Polaris Ranger UTV off road and maybe a General too

Fiat might be on shaky ground fighting this in the US unless they can narrow down what makes a Jeep A Jeep. — the front grille, obviously. I think if Mahindra changed that it is all set.
 
That would be a cool vehicle if you live somewhere where you can use it on the road. LOL at all the people complaining about crash tests and interstate highway travel. It's a very basic $15k vehicle. One that everyone always claims to want. You can buy the Jeep with all the fancy stuff for $40k or so.
 
if I could license it I would buy one for a every day driver. my other car is a motorcycle, this would be several orders of magnitude safer, cheap and practical. It does have heat right.


Rod
 
Heat was an option in the Willys. I'd figure out a way around any lawyers. What if they sold them knocked down as a kit?
grin2.gif
 
I don't think they have a heater but there are some generic aftermarket solutions. I'm sure the aftermarket is going to take off for these things.
 
Originally Posted By: andyd
I'd figure out a way around any lawyers. What if they sold them knocked down as a kit?
grin2.gif



that's how they are building them anyway, knockdown kits from India, being imported and assembled in Detroit.

Mahindra Tried to import their Pickup trucks that way a few years back(2010-12-ish?) but kept running into problems finding partners state side who actually do the work, and secure the necessary financing....(to put it mildly)
 
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KIA builds a Willys clone and continues to do so in Korea.
 
Originally Posted By: wdn
I was thinking of getting one and puttng a Tractor license plate which you can get here in NH.

In the Popular Mechanics article it speculate the Roxor could not pass some sort of safety test clearly it has neither airbags nor a roll bar. My hunch is it would destroy a Polaris Ranger UTV off road and maybe a General too

Fiat might be on shaky ground fighting this in the US unless they can narrow down what makes a Jeep A Jeep. — the front grille, obviously. I think if Mahindra changed that it is all set.


I have driven many UTVs off road. UTVs are beasts...this thing naah. Open diffs, low power, heavy compared to a UTV, and suspension??? Pfffft, like comparing plush,long travel, high quality suspension to rocks and logs. Anyone would be better off buying a used Jeep for a fith the price and still go off road and....wait for it....on road too!
 
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