auto news desk, Mahindra & Mahindra’s Thar is one of the most popular SUV cars in India. However, it is yet to gain international recognition due to trademark issues. It was first displayed in the overseas market in 2020 in the United States. And according to a ruling by the United States International Trade Commission, the Roxor (the American version of the Thar) was found to be infringing on Jeep’s design trademark. Due to which the company effectively banned the importation and sale of Roxor in the US. Mahindra then introduced the Roxor in a new design which, after initially being approved, again in 2022 faced fresh objections from the FCA. The case is still on, with a verdict expected to be in favor of Mahindra.
not work in australia
Mahindra was planning to launch its existing Thar in India as well in Australia, but there too it got caught in a legal battle. In Australia too it was challenged by Jeep. Thar, which had already lost the case in the US, had to face defeat in the case in Australia as well. However, the company is still mulling over bringing the Thar in a land down under option.
design upgrade
Regarding the new design, Mahindra Automotive’s Regional Head Joydeep Moitra has said that Thar in its current Indian format will not be launched in any international market. Because FCA and Jeep can challenge Thar again. In its current form, the Thar shares a lot of design similarities with Jeep’s Wrangler SUV.
New design for overseas markets
Speaking about the new version of the Thar, Moitra said that “we are working on a differently styled car”, which will come with a special profile and price point, which will be specially tailored for overseas markets. Used to be. , After being ready, it will also be launched in Australia. According to the decision of the Australian court in 2021, Mahindra will have to take design approval from Jeep for this, so that no problems related to infringement of design trademark can arise later. Hence, completely redesigning it could be the right move for Mahindra.
Mahindra had the license to copy the design
The Thar was first introduced in India in the 1950s. For which Mahindra had a license to copy the design from the Willys Jeep used by the US Army. The current Thar’s design follows several updates, but Mahindra has only licensed the original Jeep design and not the updated version. Also this license can only be used in India and not in other overseas markets. That’s why now the company is preparing a new design for it.