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Landmark Victory: Mahindra Roxor Cleared for Takeoff in the US After Legal Battle with FCA – Stellantis

  • “Mahindra’s Roxor Off-Roader Wins Legal Battle Against FCA – Stellantis, Given Green Light for Post-2020 Design Upgrade!”
  • “Roxor Triumphs: US Court Clears Mahindra to Develop, Market, and Distribute Upgraded Off-Roader Without Restrictions!”
Mahindra Roxor

Since its debut in the United States in 2018, Mahindra’s Roxor off-roader has been the target of various lawsuits from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) – Stellantis due to its Jeep-like design. In a recent development, Mahindra said that it has received approval to produce and market the Roxor with the design upgrade that will appear after 2020.

Mahindra stated in a regulatory filing that on July 19, 2023, the Eastern District Court of Michigan published its ruling on FCA’s second application to halt the post-2020 Roxor and, based on its analysis, has declined to apply the “safe distance rule” to this case as asked by FCA. With this judgement, Mahindra Automotive North America, the company’s subsidiary, continues to have no restrictions on its rights to develop, market, and distribute the post-2020 Roxor in the United States, according to the filing.

The dispute began in 2019 when FCA alleged that the Mahindra Roxor’s design stole trademark-protected Jeep components and launched a lawsuit against it in Michigan and before the US International Trade Commission (ITC). Mahindra has since altered the Roxor’s design, first in early 2020 and then again in late 2020, to make it look different, as required by the court judgements.

The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals remanded the case to the Detroit court in September 2022 to evaluate if the new Roxors maintained a “safe distance” from the Jeep design. Since then, Mahindra has been unable to produce and sell the Roxor in the United States.

The Roxor is available with a 2.5-litre diesel engine mated to either a 5-speed manual or an automatic gearbox. The off-roader is built in Detroit and is now available solely in the United States. Since its introduction, the Roxor has gained a following among off-roader/side-by-side enthusiasts in the United States. While the vehicle cannot be legally driven on roadways and is only for off-road use, certain states allow it to be driven on roads.

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