Mahindra Confirms Thar Will Not Launch in Australia After Jeep Moves Court

This has happened in the wake of the Thar spied testing in Australia this year

• Jeep’s parent company FCA (Stellantis) has moved court against Mahindra over the Thar’s rumoured launch in Australia. 

• Jeep has alleged that the Thar is identical to the Wrangler. 

• Mahindra even launched a website in Australia accepting registrations for the Thar.

• Mahindra now says no intention of launching the SUV in Australia. 

Update: Mahindra Opts Out Of Jeep Lawsuit; To Prioritise Local Demand For Thar

Mahindra and Jeep’s legal battle has moved Down Under. The off-road specialist has filed a complaint in court against Mahindra over the similarity of the Thar’s design to the Wrangler. This move by Jeep comes perhaps as a consequence of Mahindra purportedly keen on launching the SUV in Australia.

This episode will take one back to when the American automobile giant moved court against Mahindra in the USA over the Roxor farm vehicle. In 2020, a judgement was ruled in favour of FCA, Jeep’s parent company. 

To jog your memory, the Indian multinational a few months back had launched its website in Australia to accept registrations from prospective buyers. After that, a spy shot of a Thar test mule surfaced in Australia, leading to speculations that Mahindra was probably mulling its launch there. 

However, the carmaker confirmed to CarDekho, saying, “We have filed our reply in the proceeding commenced by FCA against us. There are no plans to launch the current model of the Thar in Australia. We would provide adequate notice to FCA, as is requested, if we were to launch any future model of the Thar in Australia.” 

Jeep has sought an undertaking that should Mahindra intend to launch the 4WD in Australia, they’d have to furnish a 90-day notice. The next hearing is scheduled for May 20. 

The new Mahindra Thar made a comeback in India last October, equipped with a new engine and transmission options and improved features. The SUV currently has the highest waiting period here, going up to 11 months. So, it only makes sense that Mahindra meets its local demands first before expanding sales to other countries like Australia and South Africa. In fact, the previous generation of the Thar is still on sale in Africa. 

• Mahindra Thar Might Just Come With A Removable Hard Top
• Locally Assembled Jeep Wrangler’s Prices Drop By Rs 10 Lakh, Now Starts At Rs 53.90 Lakh

The Mahindra Thar comes with 150PS 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 130PS 2.2-litre diesel engines, both paired with 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions. Prices range from Rs 12.11 lakh to Rs 14.16 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). 

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