Mahindra is best known here for its agricultural tractor division, but the Indian company also manufactures other types of vehicles elsewhere in the world. In 2018, this same company decided to launch, in North America, a small vehicle intended for off-road driving called Roxor. However, its design very similar to that of the Jeep Wrangler has caused legal disputes between Stellantis and Mahindra.
Too similar to the Jeep Wrangler
As you will see in the photos, the model initially presented looks very similar to the Jeep Wrangler: the two round headlights, the grille with vertical slits or the general shape of the vehicle which recalls the emblematic design of the Jeep dating from the 1950s. Moreover, Mahindra firmly believed that there was nothing problematic in that since the manufacturer enjoyed agreements dating from the Second World War. In fact, at the end of the 1940s, the Indian company had been commissioned by Jeep to assemble willy’s intended for the Indian market, among others.
However, Stellantis (FCA, at the time) disagreed when Mahindra decided to market the Roxor. It is in this vein that the American manufacturer filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission for the United States. The final verdict of this first lawsuit ruled that Mahindra stole the vehicle’s general trim and led to a ban on the sale of the model.
The wind is turning
Following the judge’s verdict, Mahindra had to go back to the drawing board and redesign its utility vehicle intended for off-road driving. Following the design update, the US commission cleared the Roxor for sale. However, Stellantis (FCA at the time) appealed the decision and won their case, once again, despite the new design.
After all these twists, it seems the tide has turned in Mahindra’s favor more recently. Indeed, a lower US court recently ruled that the new design of the Roxor no longer “copy” that of the old Wranglers of the early 1950s, which thus gives the Indian company the right to market its vehicle in North America.
A vehicle already tested
In 2019, the RPM team was invited to the Detroit area, Michigan, to discover the Mahindra Roxor. At the time, the design had still not been reviewed, but it was an opportunity to discover it in person and see what it had to offer. Our colleague had discovered a vehicle that is truly between a side-by-side all-terrain vehicle and a road vehicle. It is however important to note that the Mahindra Roxor is not a road legal vehicle. It can therefore only be used off-road. It seems that probate would have cost too much.
At the time of this writing, Mahindra’s website for the Roxor indicates that the model is not currently offered in Canada. However, the Indian company seems to intend to market it with us, since a form is available to us, in order to leave its contact details so that the company can keep interested parties informed about the availability of the vehicle with us.
