Judge: Mahindra auto won’t be made in U.S.
Ruling says Roxor built by Indian company bears too much resemblance to Jeep Wrangler.
Blade news services
Sat, 30 Nov 2019 02:20:29 GMT
DETROIT — A federal judge ruled Indian-based automaker Mahindra should stop building the Roxor all-terrain vehicle in the United States because it looks too much like a Toledo-built Jeep Wrangler.
The boxy little Roxor has resemblances of a World War II Willys Jeep and the current Wrangler, but Mahindra has appealed the ruling, according to the Detroit Free Press. Mahindra has had production deals with Jeep makers from Willys to Chrysler.
Mahindra builds Roxors, largely with parts imported from India, in a factory in Auburn Hills, Mich., a few miles from Fiat Chrysler’s headquarters. The Roxor off-road or all-terrain vehicle is not street-legal. It competes with ATVs like the John Deere Gator and Honda Talon. Roxor prices start just under $16,000 whereas a base 2020 Jeep Wrangler starts at $28,295.
The 96-page decision by Administrative Law Judge Cameron Elliot recommends an order preventing Mahindra from making, selling, and importing more parts for Roxors. The International Trade Commission, a federal agency, will consider the appeal and decide whether to ban the Roxor, the Free Press reported.
A Mahindra Roxor at the 2019 North American Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan on January 14, 2019.