Last month, the Eastern District Court of Michigan, in conjunction with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), ruled that sales of the Roxor, produced by Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra, Ltd, can resume following a ban that lasted nearly five years.
What is the Mahindra Roxor?
The Roxor is a “Utility Task Vehicle” (UTV) that is similar in purpose to a Polaris Ranger or John Deere Gator. Though primarily designed for work such as on a farm, owners also use them recreationally. UTVs lack required safety and emissions-control features, and as such, they cannot legally be driven on public roads in the US.
Roxor arrived stateside in 2018, but sales were quickly halted when Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (now Stellantis) sued Mahindra claiming the UTV infringed on its intellectual property rights. You can see why as these vehicles bore more than a passing resemblance to the iconic Jeep Wrangler CJ. Stellantis is the parent company of Jeep, as well as Dodge, Chrysler, Ram trucks, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo.
Stellantis’ original 2018 lawsuit asked the court to impose a “safe distance rule,” which would compel Mahindra to redesign the vehicle in such a way that it could no longer be reasonably confused with any of Jeep’s products. The request was granted, and Roxor sales were halted until Mahindra could go back to the drawing board.
The Indian automaker complied and came up with a restyled Roxor in 2020. Stellantis didn’t think the tweaked version went far enough and again requested the ITC and court maintain the ban. This time the ruling bodies disagreed and gave Mahindra the green light to resume sales.
The Roxor itself is a back-to-basics vehicle that has a 96-inch wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles) and an overall length of 148 inches. It comes in two trims, Base and All-Weather. The latter has a hard top and HVAC system while the former does not. All are powered by a 2.5-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine with 62 horsepower, 144 pound-feet of torque, and a 5-speed manual transmission. Four-wheel drive is standard, and it includes a manual transfer case. Towing capacity is a surprisingly robust 3,490 pounds. Roxor has no airbags, stability control, or any other safety and convenience features that you would find in a regular road-going SUV.
Pricing for the 2024 Mahindra Roxor spans $20,599-$28,739.
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CG Says:
The original 2018 Mahindra Roxor looked too close to a Wrangler CJ for comfort so it was little surprise that Stellantis wanted sales to stop. While the 2020 redesign moved away from the Jeep’s, one could potentially make the case that the Indian automaker is now infringing on Toyota’s classic FJ40 Land Cruiser. We’ll see if Toyota wants to get involved or if they’ll live and let live.
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Mahindra Roxor Gallery
(Click below for enlarged images)
