LandWind’s X7 is remarkably similar to the popular Range Rover Evoque – and it retails at £26,000 cheaper than the British bestseller.
And in a land where you can buy fake Rolexes, fake Ray-Bans, fake iPhones, and anything you can think about, its no surprise that you can now buy a fake Range Rover Evoque.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so perhaps parent company Jaguar Land Rover should take it as a compliment that the China-manufactured LandWind X7 boasts the bodyshape, lights and radiator grill of the British bestseller.
But when it retails at £14,000 – a significant price chop from the £40,000-plus Evoque – it was always going to put some noses out of joint.
The X7 was launched at the Guangzhou motor show in China last week.
And it has sparked a furious response from Jaguar Land Rover.
Dr Ralf Speth, chief executive of Land Rover, said he will be complaining to Chinese officials over the X7.
He told Autocar: “The fact that this kind of copying is ongoing in China is very disappointing. As a company we have invested heavily in China with our joint venture partner Chery.
“That commitment is based on a clear business plan, that allows us to hit our sales targets at clear prices. Anything that damages the potential profitability of our plant damages the integrity of those plans.”
China accounts for 24 per cent of Jaguar Land Rover’s global sales and the firm recently opened up a £1billion factory in the country.
