You’ll never guess what Indian-owned, UK-based model this once looked like. Yes, the Landwind X7, arguably the closest automotive ripoff ever fielded by an automaker, no longer resembles its alleged muse.
The Chinese SUV, built as a joint venture between Changan Auto and Jiangling Motors Corporation, has received a mid-life refresh that erases some of the tell-tale cues of the model that inspired not only the vehicle, but its very name. Meanwhile, certain executives in Coventry, UK, are worried the Landwind X7 saga might happen again.
It was Roger Moore eyebrows all around at Jaguar Land Rover headquarters when the X7 debuted in 2015. The X7 wasn’t just inspired by the Range Rover Evoque — it was damn near a carbon copy of the compact SUV.
After all attempts to compel Jiangling Motor to pull the China-only vehicle from the market (and presumably start over with a clean-sheet design) failed, an infuriated JLR filed a lawsuit accusing the Chinese automaker of copyright infringement and unfair competition. It was an unprecedented move, as Chinese courts aren’t in the habit of favoring foreign automakers in such cases. (The Landwind facsimile is one of many copycat designs fielded in China.)
The case remains on the books, but as we can see in these official photos, the refreshed X7 no longer quite resembles the Evoque when viewed from the front or rear. It now sports a Ford Explorer-esque front fascia and taillights whose inspiration is anyone’s guess. Side-on, of course, the tell-tale silhouette remains.
The Landwind experience has left a lasting impression on JLR. Company brass no longer feels confident in releasing a new design in advance of a new model debut, fearing another automaker could copy it and bring it to market first. The iconic automaker has since filed new paperwork targeting Jiangling Motor.
Speaking at a new vehicle launch in mid-October, JLR design boss Gerry McGovern said the company is “wary of showing new concepts,” Auto Express reports.
“The success of Jaguar Land Rover is based partly on its unique design and engineering attributes, which we believe are worth protecting across all markets,” a company spokesperson told the publication.
Is the Landwind X7’s styling refresh the result of JLR’s litigation, or was the Chinese market just getting bored of the old design? Who knows. It’ll be interesting to see what the company does for a second generation X7.
[Images: Jiangling Motor]
You think things like airbags and seatbelts would work properly from these rip-off artists? I don’t care how cheap they prices them, I would never take the risk of riding in a Chinese car.
That’s what they used to say about Japanese cars……
The Japanese don’t mistreat their people or have a reputation for low quality.
Mike, the Japanese most definitely abuse their workers, just in a different manner:
http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/05/news/japan-work-overwork-woman-dies-karoshi/index.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karōshi
It is not uncommon for employers to force employees to work well over 100 hours a week and because of their culture you literally cannot say no. This has lead to Japan having the highest rate of suicide in the world, many times higher than the Chinese plants they like to make big media sensations about.
I would much, much, rather work for a Chinese company than Japanese companies, most Chinese companies reward innovation and creativity while Japanese companies are still mostly run via seniority and there’s basically no real accountability at all since the Japanese government regularly bails out every single failing company, leading to zombie firms everywhere run by people who literally got the job by being old. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-38969273
As for quality, sure there are great firms like Toyota that build extremely high quality cars. But what about garbage companies like Takata? Or Kobe steel just lying about their metal quality?
Chinese car companies may not have caught up in technical capability to the Japanese but your post is terribly misinformed. Look at how folks who work for Geely fare-they’re excellent stewards of Volvo as a subsidiary and encourage people to contribute what they can and get creative. Nobody’s forced to work 110 hour weeks until they die of exhaustion, and people who work their way up are well paid. It’s actually like this at the majority of modern Chinese firms.
Chinese cars aren’t yet better than Japanese cars, but top Chinese firms treat employees far better than Japanese firms, and while quality isn’t quite there yet with Chinese cars, you’re horribly underestimating the Chinese if you don’t think they’ll catch up much faster than anybody else has. China was a great and innovative nation that was ruled by years of misrule and communism but it’s finally putting some of the worst mistakes of the past behind it and the folks there are ready to innovate and show the world how good they really are.
Working for a Japanese corporation is definitely not sunshine and roses.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2015/08/03/scathing-konami-report-alleges-cruel-and-unusual-employee-practices/#148ef2bf408b
Hmmm…you don’t say
Jiangling Motors Corporation Limited, abbreviated JMC, is a Chinese automobile manufacturer. The company has operated a commercial vehicle joint venture with Isuzu Motor Company since 1997. Wikipedia
Stock price: 000550 (SHE) CN¥18.25 -0.45 (-2.41%)
Nov 3, 3:59 PM GMT+8 – Disclaimer
Headquarters: China
Founded: 1968
Number of employees: 16,865
Key people: Tiangao Qiu, (Chairman); David Schoch, (Vice Chairman); Thomas Fann, (President)
Subsidiaries: Landwind, Jiangxi ISUZU Co., Ltd, MORE
Parent organization: Ford Motor Company
I doubt Ford had anything to do with the X7, neither the first one that copied the Evoque nor the current one that rips off the Explorer.
Honestly, I think it *looks* better than the bloated Explorer. I emphasized looks because I don’t think its as good or better in comparison of anything except proportions.
I don’t know where you found that. Chang’an is a JV partner with a number of automakers, not just Ford. they certainly aren’t the “parent organization” of JMC.
which is beside the point anyway, since no foreign car company can operate in China unless it’s via a partnership with a Chinese domestic company.
Just one more of those hilariously imbalanced trade situations which put us at a disadvantage. People should stop griping about NAFTA and worry more about us being in trade deals where we throw our doors wide open for Chinese companies to set up shop here, while they can place onerous “partnership” restrictions on any company who wishes to do business there.
Well said Jim.
+1 to Jim.
But for some unknown reason, we don’t get all blowhard about China. Perhaps that’s because they are pointing a few hundred nuclear missiles at us as this is written.
Or maybe its because President Dump smells future lucrative business dealing with China’s kleptocracy. An autocratic bromance.
Any idea what this costs? Any chance to actually review it? We’re laughing now, but quality is improving in Chinese cars. It’s slower than expected, but they’ll figure it out eventually.
In China x7 starts at about $21K retail. If brought to America this would sell for about $13-14K considering all the Chinese taxes/fees removed. It has weak engine and typical economy interior. But it probably will sell in decent numbers if imported into the US.
Yeah it would, that price would have it competing with the Kia Soul, and I imagine its on par or better than the Soul.
“Yeah it would, that price would have it competing with the Kia Soul, and I imagine its on par or better than the Soul.”
It would only be “better” if it was equipped with AWD. Otherwise your statement really has no merit considering that KIA continues to wipe the floor with the competition.
Thanks a lot! I wasn’t aware the Chinese were taxing their cars so hard. 13-14k is a ridiculously low price for any new car.
It would not be so cheap after becoming safety and emissions compliant. Some of those Chinese cars fold like wet paper towels in their crash tests.
That is actually pretty good looking. But I assume it is powered by something as sophisticated as a coal fired steam engine.
Or you could, you know, overcome your lethargy and prejudices and use Google. The engine is a Mitsubishi 4G63, the one people have turboed until it’s blue in the face to 800 hp. I had one in my Talon Tsi AWD. 2.0l DOHC turbo, the engine of the Evo until the last model.
Crank walking junk. I’d rather have the steam engine.
And. I have built some very stout gen 1 Small Block Chevrolet motors…doesn’t mean it belongs in a new automobile.
I thought you were an architect.
Importer/Exporter of small blocks motors.
I’m thinking of stopping the exporting and focusing on the importing.
check with H.E. Pennypacker on the export business.
What happened to the latex business?
I’ll just leave this here
http://www.carscoops.com/2016/08/oh-irony-chinas-landwind-x7-copycat.html
I thought that story was on TTAC, maybe it was Autoblog?
No way they could match Land Rovers build quality however. These will probably be much better.
Ha!
that’s like when Packard signed the contract to build Rolls-Royce Merlin fighter engines under license. They basically had to re-design the engine because they couldn’t mass produce it with Rolls-Royce’s hilariously loose tolerances.
You’d have to be legally blind to say the refresh looks nothing like the Evoque anymore. All they did was change the shape of the headlights to look like the Explorer and add a chrome squiggle from a current-model AMG in the grille.