The Land Wind X7 bears more than a passing resemblance to the Range Rover EvoqueChinese manufacturers face criticism for 'copycat' western designs, but in the face of struggling brand awareness can they really be blamed?
Remember the fracas caused over the Land Wind X7 at the Shanghai motor show last year?
The SUV, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Range Rover Evoque, was quickly set upon by critics and by Land Rover for what was deemed to be a 'copycat' design. Land Rover confirmed it would complain, but like so many similar cases before it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. JLR boss Ralf Speth even went so far as to say that major manufacturers are "powerless" to stop copycat vehicles in China.
You can see the case for the X7, however - the regular Evoque costs some £40,000 here, while the X7 weighs in at around £14,000. For a country where status and style seem to be so high on the agenda, the prospect of owning an Evoque look-alike for a fraction of the cost will be tempting to many.
Despite the temptation, however, the streets of China's cities seem to be crowded with Western brands. Audi, Volkswagen and BMW vehicles litter the motorways, and I'm told it's only when you venture into the country's rural heartland that home market manufacturers start to appear in earnest.
That split between urban and rural tastes comes mainly from the fact that Western brands are perceived as being of better quality to Chinese buyers, and it's something that automotive analyst Ashvin Chotai told me is indicative of the problems faced by Chinese manufacturers - that building a brand, even in a home market, is always going to be an uphill struggle.
Interestingly, Chotai said the 'copycat' design complaints lodged by the likes of Land Rover are nothing new, but like so many before them will likely not end in a conviction. "You can’t [stop it]," he said "It’s because this is China, and it’s because nobody knows where you draw the line. At what point does it become a violation? Even in the West there are a lot of grey areas [in design].
"That’s not much you can do about it, though some companies have tried. It’s the cost of doing business in China. If you’re starting out building cars, what do you do? First you copy, then you improve."
While so many Western brands continuing to thrive in this emerging market, it seems that China's home manufacturers suffer for a lack of public awareness. With that being the case, can they really be blamed for trying to emulate successful vehicles?
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