Jiangling Motors is far from the only company to “borrow” European designs.
Fairly often, we see Chinese automakers cloning features from European models in their own designs. Take the case of Jiangling Motors, which has been making a copy of the Range Rover Evoque for the past several years. Normally, we’d say they were “allegedly” making a copy, but a Chinese district court in Beijing actually ruled in Land Rover’s favor Friday, according to a Reuters report.
The court ruled that all manufacturing and sales of the so-called “Landwind” X7 must stop immediately. What’s more, the company was also ordered to pay Jaguar Land Rover an undefined amount for blatantly copying five unique features from the Range Rover Evoque. Jiangling Motors did not immediately comment on the outcome of the lawsuit. Jaguar Land Rover originally filed the complaint back in 2016.
This is actually a rare outcome for foreign automakers in China. While copycats extend far beyond the Landwind, foreign companies rarely take legal action against blatant copies like this. The odds of a foreign entity winning a case against a Chinese domestic manufacturer are fairly low, even at the best of times. Companies trying to sell their own cars in China could also earn a stain on their reputation if they’re seen trying to push domestic competition around.
Even so, this news comes as the Range Rover Evoque is set to launch in China next month. Now, the company won’t have to worry about its imitator taking away potential sales, as new versions of the Landwind must cease production.
