India’s First Mahindra Thar ROXX With Metal Bumpers Is Here (Video)
Ever since Mahindra started commencing deliveries of the Thar ROXX, people have been doing crazy mods and builds with it. We have seen multiple such instances in which the wheels were upsized, body modified, interior upgrades and what not. A new video shows a bumper upgrade. The owner here, chose to replace the stock bumper with a custom-made metal bumper, further integrating the hardware for ADAS and front parking sensors into it.
We have seen many Thar owners (the 3-door version) install similar metal bumpers in their vehicles. However, this is the first time that we see it being done on the ROXX, and several factors are making it unique. Usually, a bumper swap is not advised on vehicles with ADAS.
The technology for this relies primarily on two things- the camera that sits on the front windscreen and a LIDAR (radar) mounted on the front bumper. Reinstalling these on a custom bumper with the same precision and finish as OE fitment can be less usual if not rare. Here, the garage- Boxer Detailing Studio- seems to have done a neat job in building metal bumpers for the ROXX, and in further integrating the electronics. The owner says that the installation is seamless, and even shows the finish on camera.
Two parking sensors, new aftermarket LED projector fog lamps, and the LIDAR sit on the new bumper. It, however, remains to be seen how the swap might have affected the overall efficiency and accuracy of the ADAS system. The owner initially had plans to paint the bumper matte, in sync with the wheel arch garnishes. However, the video shows him to have settled down for Gloss Black instead.
The new metal bumper has added more muscle to the ROXX. There is room for improvement in the paint quality. The upgrade has also given this ROXX a new metal skid plate at the front. The new bumper and skid plate will likely increase the vehicle’s off-roading capabilities, especially the approach angle.
The owner has also done other upgrades on this vehicle. It now gets new 22-inch wheels and a tweaked suspension setup. The ride quality should have gone for a toss with the new setup in place. 22-inch wheels look massive and offer great presence. We have seen such swaps on the ROXX in previous instances as well.
This ROXX also gets tail lamp swaps and new rear fog lamps. The tail lights have now been upgraded to trendy ‘Hour Glass’ units with smoked finishes. Even the rear fog lamps that sit inside the rear reflectors get hourglass patterns on them.
During its launch, Mahindra had stated that there is minimal parts sharing between the 3-door Thar and the ROXX. To make things clear, you won’t be able to retrofit the 3-door’s metal bumpers on the ROXX as the new SUV has different mounting points. However, the tail lamps can be retrofitted. We have already seen many YouTubers doing such swaps between the Thars.
Mahindra Thar Roxx: Quick Look At It
The 5-door Thar comes with a fresh take on design and cabin experience. It is significantly larger than the 3-door Thar and is offered in 18 variants across six main trims. There are 7 colour options available: Stealth Black, Tango Red, Everest White, Deep Forest, Nebula Blue, Battleship Grey, and Burnt Sienna.
Key highlights on the exterior are LED lighting, 19-inch wheels on the top-spec and 18 inchers on the lower variants. The vehicle here seems not to be a top-spec as it had 18-inch alloy wheels and a spare wheel that wasn’t an alloy! Unlike the 3-door, the ROXX gets an all-metal construction and no fibre top.
On the inside, the ROXX feels roomy and livable. While the 4×2 variants can be had with just an Ivory cabin colourway, the 4×4 variants offer an additional Mocha Brown interior colour choice as well. It comes packed with features like a massive panoramic sunroof, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, digital driver display, wireless charging, automatic AC, a 9-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, ventilated front seats, rear AC vents, and more.
The ROXX is underpinned by Mahindra’s new-age M-GLYDE platform which puts a strong focus on striking a balance between ride quality and road manners. It gets the carmaker’s familiar 2.2L mHawk diesel and 2.0 mStallion turbo petrol engine as the available powerhouses.