Cruising on triple digit speed is an effortless job for this engine. This car should be a very good highway cruiser
BHPIAN SAMBA recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
From the outside, the Roxx looks huge, but from the driving seat, it’s very easy to drive. The ergonomics looks fine. The overall visibility from the commanding driver’s seat makes things easy on congested roads. The blind spots are negligible, plus the driver can see the full bonnet. The ORVM coverage is good too. The 360-degree camera and all the other electronic aids make this car very easy to drive.
The steering is light. It weighs up with speed. Highspeed maneuvers do not feel nervous. The steering auto centers perfectly after a ‘U’ turn. The steering precision is okay. I never had a problem placing the front wheel on my desired path. This was a problem with earlier Mahinda’s with a vague steering precision. It’s much much improved now.
The ride and handling are miles ahead of the Thar 3-door. Though the ride, especially on the rear is a bit bumpy on bad roads, it’s still acceptable. I won’t say the ride quality is plush, but for a body-on-frame rugged SUV, the ride quality is okay. Body roll can be felt on turns and sharp maneuvers. But that is not unusual for a BOF SUV.
The seats felt comfortable with enough support and space. The footwell was pretty narrow. On long drives, it may hurt! The clutch is light but the travel is on the longer side. The gear shift felt rubbery. It lacks the Japanese feel.
The diesel engine is super smooth. At low RPMs, this engine demands 1st gear, which came as a surprise to me! While crossing the road humps, the car demands 1st! I expected it to be effortless on the 2nd! But revving this engine is fun! Just tap the A pedal and this car gains speed pretty fast. Highway drives will be fun. Cruising on triple digit speed is an effortless job for this engine. This car should be a very good highway cruiser! The NVH management is overall good, but if one lugs the engine, the body vibration is on the higher side. This can be felt on the gear lever as well.
The brakes are good! Even at high speed without any downshift, the brakes can slow down the Roxx pretty fast. Plus harsh braking does not affect the dynamics of the car. It comes to a halt in a straight line without any fuss. The electronic aids work as expected.
The AC cools well. But December is not the right time to comment on the effectiveness of the AC! The sound from the stock music system was good.
Coming from the Jimny, it feels like an upgrade, except that Mahindra has not provided a 4WD in the petrol Roxx. Hence, if a Jimny owner wants to go for an upgrade, one may not consider the Roxx after all. (Possibly one has to wait for Renualt to launch the Duster 1.3L turbo petrol with AWD! )
Jokes apart, if one is okay with owning a diesel, then the Thar Roxx 4×4 will be a good buy. On the other hand, with all the discounts from Toyota, the Hilux is also not much far away in terms of pricing from the Thar Roxx top end diesel 4×4! And, for those who do not need 7 seats or 4×4, but are looking for a rugged 5-seater SUV with enough space, then the Roxx petrol is a good option.
At the price of a Creta/Seltos this car offers more value. But if one is looking for more highway drives rather than driving on bad roads then the monocoque crossovers are more comfortable & fun to drive.
The Roxx looks imposing look from the outside –
After trying to get used to the space crunch in Jimmy’s rear seat, this felt great!
Notice how fast the white seats get dirty! This car has not even crossed 3,000 km!
Enough boot space to pack the holiday luggage.
The panoramic sunroof is huge and gives the cabin an airy feel.
After driving this car, my wife’s comment was – if she buys a 5-seater 2WD, then it should be something like a Taigun/Kushaq!
The 360-degree camera was helpful while taking turns. Am not used to this feature, so my eyes were going to the ORVMs first!
The center console looks neat!
I would have preferred something retro, but the market demands this.
No insulation provided under the hood, but still this engine felt silent. This is a gem of an engine from Mahindra.
These kids loved the Roxx and gave a thumbs up while we were waiting at a signal. Compliments coming from kids are always special as they always speak their hearts out. So this car must be a looker!
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