Mahindra Opts Out Of Thar Lawsuit, Confirms It Will Prioritise India Before Overseas Markets

Mahindra has now officially confirmed that the Thar will not be sold in Australia in its current form. The move comes in the wake of Stellantis, Jeep’s parent company, dragging the Indian carmaker to court in Australia over allegations that the Thar’s design is a copy of the Wrangler. The first hearing was scheduled on May 20, and now news has come in that Mahindra has opted out of the legal tangle for good.

The SUV manufacturer said it plans on meeting its domestic demands first before launching the Thar overseas. For context, the SUV has already booked over 50,000 units, and its waiting period is up to 11 months as of the day of writing.

A spokesperson from Mahindra said, “We’re seeing very strong demand for the all-new Thar in India, therefore have no immediate plans for launch of the current variant of the Thar in markets outside India. As a result, it was pointless to engage in litigation at this stage. When we decide to launch any new variant of the Thar in Australia, we will provide 90 days’ notice to FCA and take all steps to protect our rights to market and sell the product.”

Here’s what Jeep had to say post Mahindra’s announcement: “FCA is pleased that Mahindra has conceded and undertaken that they will not import, market or sell the current Thar vehicle in Australia and will provide prior notice to FCA before bringing any future model or variant of the Thar into Australia. This outcome illustrates our commitment to protect the iconic trade dress and trademarks of the Jeep brand here and overseas, and continue to engage the passion our customers and loyal Jeep community in Australia have for these iconic vehicles.”

We guess the whole controversy started when Mahindra imported a single unit of the Thar to Australia for testing purposes. Also, the carmaker setting up a website to register prospective buyers of the SUV might have added to the row. The website no longer exists. 

It’s not the first time Mahindra and FCA have been involved in a legal wrangle. In June 2020, Jeep had moved court in the United States alleging that the Roxor’s design was an imitation of the Jeep/Willys CJ series. 

That said, Mahindra remains hopeful of launching the lifestyle off-roader Down Under and in other overseas markets once the waiting period comes down in India.