KNOCK IT OFF
CHINESE MARKET FLUSH WITH COPYCAT CARS AND TRUCKS
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then a number of auto manufacturers must have been tickled pink wandering the vast halls of AutoChina 2016.
The number of unabashedly cloned cars — said to be “inspired by” their respective donors — was almost bewildering. The copycat list is way too long, so here are a few of the more egregious examples.
Of the manufacturers that specialize in plagiarism, Zotye is the most brazen. The Zotye T600 blends the look of the Audi Q5 with the Volkswagen Tiguan, while the T700 (SR8) is a clone of the Porsche Macan.
According to CarNewsChina.com, Porsche complained and threatened to sue. The problem is the odds of winning a lawsuit are about zero. This sad fact was underscored when Ralf Speth, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover, told the Wall Street Journal that little can be done to address the “copy-paste” issue.
As if this were not bad enough, Zotye had not one, but two knockoffs of the Smart Fortwo electric car on display. The visual similarities are astounding, but what you actually get, well, not so much. The E200’s electric motor produces 24 horsepower and — sit down, please — 60 pound-feet of torque. Zotye claims the E200 has a driving range of 120 kilometres and a top speed of “at least 80” km/h. Given the power at play, that’s one surprising claim.
The Zotye E30 features a 17.6 kilowatt hour battery pack and an electric motor that can deliver up to 18 kilowatts (24 hp) and 61 lb.-ft. of torque. Again, the company claims a top speed “exceeding 80 km/h” and a 150-km driving range.
The LandWind X7 is one of the most egregious copies of all. With modern computer-aided design, it is as simple as cut, paste and produce. It has everything from the Land Rover’s 3-D lettering on the hood to the electric-razor grille. A 2.0-litre turbocharged engine (sourced from Mitsubishi) is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The similarities moved Ian Callum, Jaguar’s director of design, to tweet out photos of the LandWind X7 and “Haven’t we seen this before somewhere?”
The Brilliance V5 is a dead ringer for the BMW X1, at least to the eye. Stylistically, the shape, grille and Hofmeister Kink (it’s the detail where the window trim kicks back and upward at the C-pillar, and has been a part of BMW’s design language for decades) are in place. But peel the sheet metal away and the differences flood to the fore. Where the BMW X1 uses a 2.0-L turbocharged four-cylinder that’s good for 228 hp with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the V5 is hogtied by a paltry 118- hp 1.6-L engine and five-speed manual or automatic transmissions. Likewise, the interior may look the part, but running a hand over the materials revealed nothing but cheap. As they say, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
If you’re looking for a Mini, but can’t scrape together quite enough coin, well, the Lifan 320 could be the answer. That’s as long as you don’t mind taking a distant second best. It is a Mini clone from its white roof and mirror caps to the signature headlights, but in all else it falls well short of its inspiration. It arrives with a 1.3-L engine and five-speed manual transmission with an unimpressive 86 hp and 81 lb.-ft. of torque.
Just like its authentic sibling, the 320 is offered with a pure electric drive. According to Lifan’s website it comes with a 7.5-kilowatt (10 hp) motor and 64- or 72-volt lead/acid batteries. Safety, you ask? Well, it produced zero stars out of five, based on 2014 Latin NCAP tests.
Other look-alike drives included the JAC A60, a.k.a. the Audi A6. Not only is the look very similar, peek inside and there sits JAC’s take on Audi’s MMI infotainment system. Then, sitting directly across from the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon was the BAIC BJ80. Jeep-like grille aside, the cloning is glaringly obvious.
In an ironic twist, Daimler AG has a 12 per cent stake in BAIC. Sitting next to the BJ80 was the Wrangleresque BJ40. And, in the same manner in which Jeep showcases its offroaders, the BJ40 was sitting atop a mini craggy peak.
Finally, there was the Dongfeng A9. If you see shades of the now-departed VW Phaeton, you are not alone.
The misappropriation of automotive design is a very real problem for many manufacturers. Sadly, nobody is talking about the angst the knockoffs are causing; everyone involved is as quiet as the proverbial church mouse. It is a sad commentary on the value of intellectual property.
If there is solace to be taken, it’s found in the quality of the knockoffs. Most range from laughable to absolutely dreadful. As they say, you get what you pay for — and in this case, aside from looks, you get very little.