The End Of The Roxor? Possibly For Now…

It very well may be the end of the off-road only machine…at least in the United States. To be exact, the Roxor’s resemblance to the Jeep CJ constitutes a violation of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930.

India’s Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. is no longer permitted to sell its Roxor off-road utility vehicle after a U.S. regulator ruled the vehicles too closely resembles the Toledo-built Jeep Wrangler. In addition to not being able to sell the machine, Mahindra may not import parts and complete Roxors into the country.

In November 2019, a judge ruled that the Roxor infringed on the trade dress of the Jeep’s design, according to Automotive News. However, the decision did not cover the Mahindra’s grille as violating the Jeep’s trademark look. The judge suggested removing the Roxor from the market, and the ITC agreed with this decision.

While the Roxor is too close to the classic Jeep design in terms of trademarks, the two vehicles aren’t truly competitors. The Roxor is not road-legal, so it falls more into the side-by-side off-roader segment. A 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel produces 62 horsepower (46 kilowatts) with 144 pound-feet (195 Newton-meters) of torque. The drivetrain consists of a five-speed manual, two-speed transfer case, and part-time four-wheel drive. The top speed is just 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour).

Mahindra Automotive North America supplied the following comment on the outcome to Automobile: 

For further information:

https://www.roxoroffroad.com/roxor-competitive-advantages

https://www.toledoblade.com/business/automotive/2020/06/12/ITC-sides-with-FCA-in-Mahindra-Jeep-dispute/stories/20200612107

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