August 15, 2016, 01:34
One of the most controversial premieres of the past few years, many automotive critics called the announcement premium crossover, "erupted" at an automobile forum in Guangzhou, China at the end of 2014. The thing is that the presented model almost completely repeats its appearance And interior decoration British bestseller, which led to an avalanche of discussion and controversy after the premiere.
However, if at first a loud scandal and a serious legal battle seemed inevitable, then after a few months the leadership Land Rover moderated its claims, thus tacitly approving the serial production of the "Chinese". Perhaps one of the conditions for obtaining such consent was a promise Chinese company-the clone manufacturer to limit the sale of new items to the domestic Chinese market, however, there was little consolation for JLR, because the British in the same 2014 invested hundreds of millions of dollars in opening production in China of this Evoque.
Most likely, having received advice about the futility of such a claim, JLR decided to wait for a more opportune moment. In addition, the Chinese Patent Office revoked the patents for the design of the car from both the Evoque (due to the fact that before the registration of the exclusive right to intellectual property in the PRC, the car was freely shown in other countries - an explanation that is possible only in the Middle Kingdom) and the clone - Landwind X7 (and here already because of the "close" with the Evoque appearance).
Twins outside
The car was the result of a joint development of engineers from Jiangling Motors and Changan Auto and is really very similar to the Evoque in all respects, from the general body architecture to separate elements appearance design.
Only by comparing the two crossovers very closely can you find differences. Chinese car from its more famous counterpart. Among the few differences can be called a small Landwind X7 radiator grille, decorated in the middle with a chrome bar with the manufacturer's emblem. Head optics narrowed in the upper part, going to the front fenders, creating a kind of "squint" of the car. Fog lights unusual geometry spaced along the edges of the central part of the bumper.
Like Range Rover Evoque, the Landwind X7 has an accentuated roof slope towards rear pillars body and a window sill line rising to the stern. Thanks to this design solution, the car looks sporty, assertive and dynamic. A high window sill line does not add practicality to the car, but it does appearance more stylish.
The novelty looks no less bright from behind. The developed spoiler above the narrow strip of the window of the fifth door received an LED brake light. In addition, LED filling is also compact marker lights. The lower part of the Landwind X7 body is covered with protective unpainted plastic.
Looking closely at the body of the crossover, it becomes noticeable far from the perfect fit of the elements. The most uneven were the joints of plastic body parts. External dimensions X7 indicate its belonging to the class of popular lately compact crossovers. The length of the car was 4420 mm, its width - 1910 mm, the height of the crossover is 1630 mm. The wheelbase of the "Chinese" fits into 2,760 mm. Small ground clearance at 168 mm will not allow the owner of the car to move far from the asphalt. For comparison, the dimensions of the Evoque: 4365 x 1900 x 1635 mm, wheelbase 2660 mm, ground clearance 215 mm.
… and inside
The five-seat interior of the Landwind X7 will not surprise you with anything special, although you won’t be able to find fault with the quality of interior trim and ergonomics. The interior architecture is made in the spirit of the same RangeRover Evoque. The main place on the center console is reserved for a 10.2-inch color touch screen multimedia system. A little lower is a small air conditioning control unit with a compact display and a pair of “twists”.
Contemporary steering wheel upholstered in natural leather in a combination of colors and slightly trimmed at the bottom. instrument panel looks concise and, perhaps, somewhat modest. At the same time, information from the arrow dials is read very well. The wide central tunnel is decorated with ebony inserts, on the left side of the console there is a keyless engine start button.
The front pair of seats provides a comfortable fit for the driver and passenger of almost any build. Passengers will also be comfortable rear seats, although the rear sofa, although designed for three people, will allow only two passengers to sit down with real comfort.
The trunk of the car, despite its small dimensions, has a good capacity, additional convenience is provided by a split backrest of the second row seats.
Equipment and engine
Even basic version"Chinese" will please richly equipped. Here are the climate control, cruise control, keyless system engine start and interior access, navigation system, camera rear view, as well as a number of other functions. Optionally, the crossover can be equipped with worse models more eminent German and Japanese manufacturers.
As power plant Landwind X7 received a licensed 4-cylinder 2-liter engine - an analogue of the Mitsubishi 4G63S4T engine, equipped with a turbocharging system and distributed fuel injection. The proposed motor is capable of developing maximum power at 190 hp and has a peak thrust of 250 Nm.
Future owners of Landwind X7 will be able to choose one of two possible boxes gears - 6-speed mechanical unit and 8-band automatic transmission. The car is exclusively front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive crossover can't be ordered even as an option.
The design of the machine is based on the original platform with an independent suspension type with front MacPherson struts and a multi-link system at the rear. Steering added electric amplifier, front pair brake mechanisms has ventilated discs.
Price
This is probably the only parameter of the two crossovers that differs so obviously. Officially manufactured in China Factory Land rover crossover The Evoque goes to dealers starting at $68,000 US dollars, while the Landwind X7 is priced "confusingly similar," according to the Russian legislation, is only from $ 19,600. Thus, here the score is 1: 3, but in whose favor it is up to the buyers to decide. By the way, statistics show that Landwind X7 is selling like hot cakes in China - this is the most successful model in the history of the Landwind brand and currently generates 70% of all company sales.
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At the Chinese automaker Jiangling Motor. The British accuse the company of allegedly copying the appearance popular model range rover Evoque by creating its own clone - Landwind X7.
This is a rather rare step taken by foreign auto companies to deal with Chinese counterparts - the problem itself has been around for many years, and many large manufacturers have faced it.
According to a representative of JLR, owned by the Indian company, the lawsuit was filed in one of the courts in Beijing. According to him, the reason for this step was the next actions of the company, which violated copyrights and conduct unfair competition. However, the most obvious reason for Jaguar Land Rover's dissatisfaction was sharp drop crossover sales in China with the advent of the local "analogue".
A spokesman for Landwind declined to comment.
Meanwhile, this is not the first attempt by Jaguar Land Rover to ban the Chinese from producing the Landwind X7. The previous one failed miserably in 2014. Then the PRC authorities supported their manufacturer in this matter and did not recognize the fact of theft of the intellectual property object. Eventually british mark had to retreat.
Risk of losing face
Despite the widespread practice of imitation and often frank copying of design foreign brands Chinese competitors, global automakers are trying to avoid conflicts with local companies in Chinese courts.
The chances of winning against them are extremely low due to the lobbying of their interests by the government.
In addition, litigation can have a bad effect on brand perception, as the Chinese public tends to believe that foreigners are trying to intimidate domestic competitors in this way.
“If JLR does win its case, it might inspire other automakers to follow in their footsteps,” said Beijing-based lawyer Chen Jihong, who works for a law firm specializing in intellectual property law.
Inside the clone
The public noticed the similarity of these two models as soon as the Chinese introduced their “new product” in 2014. At that time, the Evoque was already actively sold in China and was in good demand. At the same time, Jiangling Motor has thrown all its efforts into promoting its own version of the crossover in the domestic market. The model was demonstrated at all auto shows, including the Chinese auto show in Chongqing, one of the largest cities in the world, where the Gazeta.Ru correspondent met this car.
At first glance, these cars differed only in name and price: Chinese crossover the cost is about three times lower than the original.
Same body lines, shape rear lights and a similar grille. On special sites, special offers even appeared - Land Rover nameplates, which could be bought for $ 20 and attached to a Chinese clone. But already inside the cabin, plastic inserts under the tree, which could be reached with bare hands, were striking.
If the Chinese were rather frivolous with Evoque design, then in the matter of filling they went their own way. So, under the hood, the Landwind X7 has a turbocharged two-liter Mitsubishi engine 190 hp It is paired with a six-speed "mechanics" or an eight-speed "automatic". IN basic configuration climate control, cruise control, navigation system, rear view camera, multimedia system with 10.2 inch screen. Also available keyless access into the cabin, and the engine can be started with a button. The Chinese also have an electronic parking brake, assistance systems at the start and on the rise. Leather upholstery and heated front seats are also available as an option. Optionally, you can order a leather interior, heated front seats, a lane control system, a huge panoramic roof and other useful bells and whistles. In China, the car costs about $24,000.
Similar precedents
A JLR spokesperson said that the company had previously been able to get Jiangling banned from selling the X7 in Brazil. It is also reported that now the two manufacturers are in talks about the future appearance of the new generation X7. At the same time, experts agree that the litigation may drag on.
Eg, Honda motor it took 12 years to win a case in China against an obscure local automaker.
All this time, the brand copied the look of the CR-V SUV. Eventually Japanese company received only 16 million yuan ($2.43 million) in compensation instead of the expected 300 million.
Background
controversy Chinese automakers With European brands began in 2007, when imports poured into Europe Chinese cars. The first "clone" that caused the most negative response was the Noble compact (translated from English - "noble", "noble"), which is similar to another compact, but from Mercedes-Benz- automobile Smart ForTwo. The authors of this clone list the same Shuanghuan. However, it cannot be said that the Chinese did not try to cover their tracks: they slightly lengthened the “baby” and made it a four-door, in contrast to the two-door Smart.
The Chinese dealer even decided to take such a step as the presentation of this car at International Motor Show in Frankfurt. There they said that the difference in the price of the original and the "clone" is almost threefold - €19,000 and €7,000, respectively.
In response, Mercedes said it would take legal action because "the Chinese want to cash in on Smart's 'cool' looks." At the same time, they miss important factor- safety. However, the court was not required, since in Europe there was no a large number wishing to change to a dubious compact even for €7,000. What can not be said about the CEO. Desire to acquire cheap car, which is very similar to the super-popular X5, nevertheless appeared among the Europeans.
At home - in Bavaria - BMW achieved victory over the Chinese without any problems.
The Germans said that the CEO was just a "vulgar copy" of the BMW X5; insisting on this, they won the trial in Munich. Then in Italy, the Chinese had problems with FIAT, which did not want to recognize the originality of the Grate Wall Peri hatchback. The Italians explained in court that this car is one to one similar to a hatchback FIAT Panda, the exception is a slightly modified front end.
It got ridiculous: some parts, such as the side doors on both cars, are interchangeable. This did not stop the Chinese from denying all the accusations, saying that they made Peri on their own and spent about 300 million yuan (about $40 million) on it. Unlike the Germans, here the Italian judges went to meet their automaker.
What you don't see in life. Here in China, for example, recently one collided with another Range. What is this, you ask? It's just that these two cars were the same color. Well, what is this? Yes, the fact that two seemingly identical models are cars of completely different manufacturers, one of them is the original Range Rover Evoque, the other, Chinese fake. Moreover, it was the Chinese copy that flew on the road to original car. It seems Chinese clones moved to decisive action to oust real cars.
The Chinese model from the Chinese automaker Landwind X7 is one of the most famous copies available on local market. The model is distinguished by a low price relative to the original, good build quality and selection of materials (a rarity for true Chinese copies) and almost identical appearance, with the exception of some small details.
And the car fate-villain brought these two crossovers together and put them next to each other and now everyone can compare them, so to speak, side by side, study all their differences and see the similarities.
The amazing similarity of the two cars more than once led to the court, hoping to sue the impudent plagiarizers. But cunning Chinese manufacturers are not so easy to intimidate. Nothing came of the British. So the Chinese continue to create their masterpieces, for local motorists to enjoy, for motorists from other countries to laugh.
P. S. Ever wondered why Chinese copies in their new car market are so successful? It's all about the price. Landwind X7 costs less than a quarter of the real thingLand Rover in China. Therefore, they are preferred by the locals.
Chinese car manufacturers have long understood the fact that it is futile to compete with British and other European vehicle designers. Therefore, they made the only right decision - to copy the developments of the most successful models. This is exactly what happened with the Landwind X7, which became the second offering in model line brand. The company works so far only in China, does not officially sell cars in other countries, but there are already several owners of this model in Russia.
The copy, according to many experts and critics, came out not much worse than the original, and in some moments even better. Of course, in the technical part, this is far from an analogue of the British crossover, but it looks very convincing. Interestingly, the Range Rover Ewok clearly did not expect such a kick from the East, because the Landwind E32, as it is called in China, has a lot of time for sales while patent proceedings are going on.
Examine appearance under a microscope
Interesting Landwind developments have already become popular in China. So far, the price in Russia of all the developments of this crossover manufacturer is unknown, but buyers have already managed to purchase a car without a guarantee. Entertaining photos that boast Chinese Range Rover Ewok conquers the Internet, and all potential buyers are surprised by such features of the crossover's appearance:
- the resemblance to the Land Rover model is simply incredible, sued Chinese brand it will be hard;
- the visual price of the copy is not too different from the perception of the British original;
- Landwind's styling additions are great, they make the car feel fresher;
- the X7 also has a beautiful interior that offers comfortable seats for the driver and passengers;
- the interior is also copied almost completely from the Range Rover Ewok, but has a few authentic features.
A crossover that's already got a name Chinese Land Rover, became the author of this scandal. The potential audience of the car in Russia is divided into two camps. Many support this development. automotive market Celestial, welcoming great design Landwind X7. Others say that such a transport has no future, you need to create something of your own. Both admirers and critics of X7 have strong arguments for being right.
The company's technique is a very skillful production of a crossover
If you look not only at the appearance of the Landwind E32, but also look under the hood of the car, you can be surprised at the development of Chinese technical thought. The company offers its customers a very exciting technique. There are moments in the development for the copy that the original Range Rover Ewok lacks. And if the photos are instantly sympathetic, then the technique stands out with such features:
- Chinese Land Rover received great engine 2 liters with a potential of 190 horses;
- the gearbox is represented by a 6-band mechanics or an 8-speed automatic;
- the car is based on a shortened base from the Landwind X8 - a larger SUV;
- Chinese developers have added many interesting economical features to the car;
- such features have allowed the Landwind X7 to become one of the most technological cars China.
Specialists not only from the Chinese concern participated in the development of Landwind. For the production of X7, Japanese engineers and European designers were invited. The budget of the model is quite large, which is unusual for a corporation. It is for this reason that the price announced for Landwind X7 turned out to be not as attractive as we would like to see on the price tag in official stores.
Eastern experience of operating a crossover
If the handsome X7 gets into our country officially, he will have a lot of buyers. The price of the novelty is two times lower than that of the real Range Rover Ewok. Beautiful photos pleasing to the eye and specifications they look just great. Therefore, the company is confident in the popularity of its new product in China, especially since buyers who have already purchased a car talk about the following features of the crossover:
- Chinese Landwind X7 turned out to be an order of magnitude better than many other models of its level;
- a high level of comfort is actually not inferior to the quality of the ride on the original;
- also in the X7 asset there are many exciting technologies that allow you to enjoy driving;
- among important functions one can note the excellent fullness of the machine with modern technologies;
- such benefits are practically not reflected in the cost, and this pleases the buyer.
In 2014, an unusual premiere took place in Guangzhou. Was introduced car X7 from the Chinese manufacturer Jiangling and Changan. The crossover surprised all visitors with its incredible resemblance to the Range Rover Evoque. At the same time, the car turned out to be similar not only externally, but also the “stuffing”.
First, the indignation of the representatives Land companies Rover had no limits and they demanded a ban on sales. However, as before, the Chinese company managed to “get out of the water” completely dry. If we recall the cloning of BMW, when they also wanted to put a ban on the sale of clones, everything ended up with the fact that today BMW and Ford are cooperating with the Chinese auto industry.
A copy of Land Rover - Landwind x7, with a price in Russia several times lower than the original, is a novelty today Russian market. However, as practice shows, Chinese manufacturer cars will still occupy its niche and the main criterion will, of course, be price policy, but also the ability to "adopt" not only the external appearance, but also the insides.
Design component Landwind X7
The false radiator grille is small in size, its middle is decorated with a chrome-plated crossbar, where the manufacturer's badge is also located. The elegance of foglights is emphasized by visually narrowed optics. The front is well shaded big amount protective plastic parts.
If you look from the side, you can see the Range Rover Evoque mirror: doors, roof, stripes one to one. The side plastic protection is also no different, however, its peculiar location near wheel arches and body perimeter, provided a certain style of the car, which emphasizes the image of the jeep.
The rear optics can be attributed to the unique. The capacity of the trunk is provided by the possibility of folding the backs of the back of the seats. Spoiler, equipped with a brake light, is located on the top of the glass luggage compartment. Nozzles complete the look exhaust system, making the model more daring.
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In the cabin, full comfort will be provided for 4. Chic interior, just like the Ewok without any surprises. But, nevertheless, the center console is equipped with a 10.2″ multimedia display.
There is a 2-zone automatic air conditioner. In general, a good auto picture is formed at an affordable market value. In China, Landwind is offered from 129 thousand CHN, which is about 19.5 thousand USD. So, given the almost 100% similarity with the Range Rover Evoque, the Chinese Landwind X7 can boast of a price in Russia - from 1 million 400 thousand rubles.
The dimensions of the crossover are impressive:
- Length - 4.042 cm;
- Width - 1.091 cm;
- Height - 1.063 cm;
- Wheelbase 2.076 cm;
- Ground clearance - 168 mm.
Technical data
Crossover Specifications Aim for Performance sports car, which can make cars quite popular among motorists.
Turbocharged Mitsubishi engine 4G63S4T with four cylinders. A two-liter volume is capable of delivering 190 hp, which is 5500 rpm and 250 Nm of torque.
Two types of transmission: mechanics with six speeds and automatic with 8 ranges, sending the entire resource to the front wheels. electric power steering, disc brakes equipped with ABS system and EBD.
Thus, it can be seen that the equipment of the car is decent.
Basic equipment consists of: air conditioner cruise control, navigation system, rear view cameras, multimedia, keyless interior access.
It will be possible to place an order leather interior, heated front seats, sunroof and other options needed by the driver.
