Indian motor company Mahindra is making waves in the heart of the American car industry by building a new North American headquarters and automotive vehicle assembly plant in the Detroit metro area. This is the first plant of its kind to be built in the area since the Jefferson North Assembly Plant was built in Detroit by Chrysler back in 1991, which currently builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango.
So does this mean Mahindra, known in the U.S. as a tractor company, will start selling cars in the U.S.? Not exactly. At least, not yet.
Motor Trend reports that the vehicle being built at the new plant in Auburn Hills, Michigan is an SUV called the Mahindra Roxor Offroad. This is not your average SUV. Mahindra describes it as a compact “off-highway” vehicle, and the concept still hasn’t been fully unveiled to the public.
Here’s what we do know about the Roxor: It’s a ladder-frame SUV with a steel body, and it’s based on an all-new global platform. Two variants of the Roxor will be available. One is a work vehicle for farmers, ranchers, or anyone who needs a tough utility vehicle for traversing rough terrain for work. The other will be more of a performance-oriented SUV aimed at off-road motorsports enthusiasts.
The Mahindra Roxor Offroad will most likely be a four-seater which would make it similar to a UTV. The difference will be the Roxor will have a more fully-enclosed body, closer to that of an on-road SUV, which would actually make it great for all seasons including cold, snowy winters.
Right now, the new Mahindra plant has a staff of 170, which is expected to grow to 250 by the end of 2017. By 2020, Mahindra is planning on having a staff of 700, bringing its investment from $230 million up to $600 million. When fully staffed with three shifts, the Michigan plant could produce as many as 12,000 Roxor SUVs annually.
Here’s the real catch. For starters, the Mahindra Roxor will be for India. It sounds like the Roxor will eventually be available in the U.S., but nobody knows exactly when. We have a feeling that when we eventually see the production version of the Roxor, we’re going to run out of patience for it to be available here in the States.