- By Vaamanaa Sethi
- Sat, 22 Jul 2023 12:22 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), who is the owner of Jeep, had filed a lawsuit against Mahindra Automotive alleging a trademark infringement in the Roxor 4x4 that was being sold in the US.
Fiat alleged that Mahindra had copied Roxor 4x4 feature components that were trademark and protected by Jeep. The lawsuit was filed before the US international in Michigan after which Mahindra Automotive North America was barred from selling the Roxor in the US.
Also read: India’s Forex Reserve Soars To $600 Billion In July: RBI
In 2020, Mahindra Automotive revised the design of the Roxor 4x4 to make it distinctive from Jeep’s SUV. However, FCA claimed that Roxor was a nearly identical copy of the Jeep, which had several similar design elements, even the height of the vehicle was also reportedly similar.
Mahindra submitted a considerable redesign of the Roxor and appealed to the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which remanded the matter to the Detroit court in September 2022.
The Detroit court concluded that the revised design of the Roxor off-road was ‘safe distance’ from the FCA’s Jeep.
Also read: Reliance Retail-backed Dunzo Announces Fresh Round Of Layoffs
’The Easter District Court of Michigan has on 19th July, 2023, issued its opinion and order on FCA’s renewed motion to enjoin the Post-2020 Roxor and has based on its motion to enjoin the Post-2020 Roxor and has based on its analysis, declined to apply the safe distance-rule to this case as sought by FCA. Accordingly, FCA's motion to enjoin the Post-2020 ROXOR was denied. With this ruling, Mahindra Automotive North America, a subsidiary of the Company, continues to have no restraints on its ability to produce, sell and distribute the Post-2020 ROXOR in the United States,” Mahindra Automotive stated in a fresh regulatory.
Mahindra’s Roxor 4x4 is marketed as a utility vehicle which is sold specifically for use in farm lands and still continues to cater to the segment in the US.
It has a 2.5-litre m2DiCR turbocharged diesel engine, which produces 62 hp and 195 nm of torque. It gets a 5-speed manual transmission and a 2-speed manual transfer case to select between 2WD and 4WD modes.