Jeep and Mahindra are back in court, but this time it’s in Australia
Jeep lawyers are trying to stop Mahindra selling the Thar to Australia, because it looks very similar to the Wrangler. Car Advice. It’s difficult to not see the similarities between the two vehicles.
Mahindra’s lawyers claim that Mahindra does not plan to bring the Thar to Australia. Jeep’s legal team rebutted by showing people a website that allowed them to register their interest in buying a Thar in Australia. People received an email thanking them for their inquiry on the new Mahindra Thar. We will keep you informed via this email address as we move closer to the launch of this exciting new vehicle here in Australia.
Mahindra, however, has only imported one Thar to Australia and has not yet started homologation processes to be able sell it.
The Jeep lawyers asked for a notice of 90 days if Mahindra plans to bring the Thar to the market. Mahindra requested that the notice period be extended to 45 days. The claim that there is no intention to sell the Thar in Australia doesn’t match Mahindra’s request for less time to advise Jeep.
Each side will appear in court on May 21 to hear the case again.
The 2021 Mahindra Thar was unveiled in August 2020 with a body very similar to the Wrangler. India is not affected by this as the company has the rights to sell the CJ Jeep Wrangler. You can choose from a gasoline engine with 150 horsepower (112 kilowatts), or a turbodiesel with 130 horsepower (97kilowatts). You can choose between a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. A part-time four-wheel drive system is also available with a low range transfer case.
Mahindra and Jeep are adversaries in court. An American judge found the Indian firm guilty of trademark infringement in 2019 because the Roxor looked too similar to the American off-roader. Later , the court temporarily prohibited the sale of the Roxor in the US. The US International Trade Commission approved Mahindra’s design for the 2021 Roxor, to be sold in late 2020.