Jaguar moves to stop Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi and Volkswagen SUV imports
Jaguar-Land Rover alleges VW Group is using its patented Terrain Response technology without permission and wants to block US imports.
Jaguar-Land Rover is not happy with Volkswagen Group. The German conglomerate's Porsche , Lamborghini , Audi and Volkswagen brands are in the hot seat after JLR filed a complaint on Thursday with the US International Trade Commission, Bloomberg reported. The British automaker, which is owned by the Indian steel giant Tata, seeks to block the US import of numerous SUVs in the process.
JLR alleges that Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi and Volkswagen all use a JLR-patented Terrain Response system without permission and named the technology as a key system in its F-Pace and Discovery SUVs.
The automaker told Roadshow in a statement, "As a matter of policy, Jaguar-Land Rover does not comment on ongoing legal disputes, however protecting our Intellectual Property is something we take very seriously." VW Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.
Should the British automaker find success in the complaint, it would block VW Group from importing a wide range of profitable SUVs. They include the Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus, Audi's line of Q SUVs and the electric E-Tron range.
The USITC investigation is ongoing, though JLR also reportedly filed two lawsuits seeking compensation over the German automaker's alleged use of the system. Just don't expect a bunch of SUVs to suddenly disappear, a financial settlement in court is far more likely.
