LandWind X7: £14,000 Range Rover 'copy' sparks official protest

Jaguar Land Rover accused Chinese car maker LandWind of a "breach of international regulations" after the company unveiled its new X7 at the Guangzhou motor show.

Autocar magazine noted that the LandWind X7 bore a "striking resemblance" to the Range Rover Evoque, including similar body shape, configuration of lights, design of the radiator grill and the placement and styling of its logo across the bonnet.

The car is a "brazen copy" of the off-roader, the Daily Mail says, and at £14,000 is only a fraction of the price.

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

Speth confirmed to the magazine that he intended to make an official complaint over what he considered "intellectual property theft."

LandWind is a joint venture between two popular and well-regarded Chinese car makers, Changan Auto and Jiangling Motors Corporation. The company was accused of borrowing styling cues for its CV9, a car which took "clear design inspiration from the Vauxhall Frontera," Autocar says. It was withdrawn from sale in Europe after scoring just two stars out of five in European crash tests in 2010.

China is a big market for Jaguar Land Rover, accounting for 24 per cent of the company's annual global sales, the Daily Mirror reports.