24 November 2014

IS IT TRUE? - Fury as China unveils £14,000 copy of Range Rover: British company may take legal action after little-known manufacturer launches brazen copy of off-roader




Fury as China unveils £14,000 copy of Range Rover: British company may take legal action after little-known manufacturer launches brazen copy of off-roader


  • Chinese carmaker LandWind launched its £14,000 X7 at a motor show 
  • It bore close resemblance to the £40,000-plus Range Rover Evoque  
  • Jaguar Land Rover may take legal action to protect its brand

At first glance, the new car unveiled at a motor show appeared to be an updated model of the Range Rover Evoque.

With its signature body shape, lights and radiator grill and silver logo across the front edge of its bonnet, it was the spitting image of the British bestseller.

But in fact, it was a brazen copy of the hugely popular UK-designed ‘baby’ off-roader – and a fraction of the price.

The hugely popular UK-designed 'baby' off-roader, the £40,000-plus Range Rover Evoque 
The hugely popular UK-designed 'baby' off-roader, the £40,000-plus Range Rover Evoque 

Chinese carmaker LandWind launched its own £14,000 X7 at the Guangzhou motor show in China last week
Chinese carmaker LandWind launched its own £14,000 X7 at the Guangzhou motor show in China last week

Little-known Chinese carmaker LandWind launched its £14,000 X7 at the Guangzhou motor show in China last week. 

Its uncanny similarity to the £40,000-plus Evoque’s distinctive design provoked an angry response from Jaguar Land Rover, which may take legal action to protect its brand. 

The British manufacturer has just opened its first car factory in China in a venture with local firm Chery. 

Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Dr Ralf Speth, pictured with Business Secretary Vince Cable 
Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Dr Ralf Speth, pictured with Business Secretary Vince Cable 

Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Dr Ralf Speth told Autocar magazine: ‘The fact that this kind of copying is ongoing in China is very disappointing. The intellectual property (IP) is owned by Jaguar Land Rover and if you break that IP then you are in breach of international regulations.’

But drivers looking for a fashionable car at a bargain price might want to wait for safety inspection results. 

LandWind’s earlier CV9 people-carrier scored just two stars out of five in European crash tests in 2010.


Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2846676/Fury-China-unveils-14-000-copy-Range-Rover-British-company-legal-action-little-known-manufacturer-launches-brazen-copy-roader.html#ixzz3JzdApgKN 



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