Land Wind showcases the X7 in China. The X7 is a clear copy of the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover officials are quite pissed off due to this violation of Intellectual Property.
The front fascia of both the vehicles are similar with small differences
We had earlier also reported how China has managed to come up with a knock-off of the popular and desirable Range Rover Evoque. The Land Wind X7 has now been showcased at the 2014 Guangzhou Auto Show and it looks a bit too much like the Evoque. This comes as a rather displeasure that while gadgets and watches have always been copied by creating clones, now we can even see auto manufacturers creating clones of other vehicles. While the Evoque is a niche and slightly expensive SUV, the Land Wind X7 will be priced quite attractively and with this the manufacturers might be too optimistic to rope in buyers.
If watching the vehicle from a distance, the Land Wind X7 might just pass off as an Evoque to the casual observer. Move closer to the vehicle and you see that there are some differences. The headlights, DRLs, bumpers, etc. carry different detailing while the Range Rover moniker on the hood has been replaced by Land Wind, written in a similar format and font. The design of the grille too is different and the X7 doesn’t really ooze of the premium appeal that is offered by the Rangie. The rear too looks similar with the silver inserts in the bumper and the small glass area. The tail lights carry a new design though.
The interiors of the Land Wind X7 are inspired by the Evoque too but the dashboard carries some styling changes. The steering wheel is slightly redesigned but we doubt that the X7’s interior parts quality will be able to match that of the Evoque. Powering the X7 is a Mitsubishi-sourced 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that churns out 188 HP of power and and 250 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to either a 6-speed manual transmission or an 8-speed auto box. In comparison, the Evoque gets a 2.2-litre producing 187 HP of power and 420 Nm of torque and a 2.0-litre petrol engine giving out 237 HP of power and 340 Nm of torque. Both the engines are mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission.
The Evoque is priced at 4,00,000 yuan in China which translates to roughly Rs. 40 lakhs and the Land Wind X7 will be priced at approximately 1,20,000 yuan which is equal to Rs. 12.12 lakhs. So, will buyers prefer to buy a rip-off of a premium vehicle at 1/3rd the price or will they buy the real deal?
Land Rover CEO, Dr. Ralf Speth has expressed his huge displeasure for the Land Wind X7. The company has just recently begun assembling the Evoque in China with partner Chery Automobile Company and they feel that the X7 will ruin their business. Also, the fact that Land Wind copied the design of the Evoque is a clear Intellectual Property theft and the company will be talking to officials at the Guangzhou Auto Show soon. Land Rover might also consider legal action against Land Wind which is a joint venture between Changan Auto and Jiangling Motors Corporation.
The interiors have vast differences and X7’s quality might be questionable
The side profile is strikingly similar again with just few differences
While the Evoque looks premium, the X7 is tacky
