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Following Land Rover's legal success against the Evoque's Chinese copycat, we look at some other examples of familiar far-eastern fakes

Jaguar Land Rover has won a significant case in the Chinese courts against Jiangling Motors. Until recently, the Chinese car manufacturer produced a very convincing (and much cheaper) parody of the Range Rover Evoque; an issue which JLR disputed on the grounds of copyright infringement and unfair competition.

However, JLR aren't the first victims of Chinese automotive copyright infringement. In the Chinese domestic market, manufacturers commonly draw heavy inspiration from western cars; a wander around any of the major Chinese motor shows, such as those in Beijing or Shanghai, will reveal cars made by obscure brands which manage to spark an unusual sense of déjà vu. These are the Chinese copycat cars.

• Land Rover's successful legal campaign against Chinese copycat

Many of China’s domestic car brands have a less than proud history when it comes to copying car designs from other manufacturers. The practice is less common than it once was, but some Chinese models are still blatant rip-offs that are barely distinguishable from the vehicles that inspired them. Yet more are subtler imitations of the original source material.

In the past we’ve seen McLaren lookalikes, MINI rip-offs and even an attempt to replicate the grandeur of a Rolls-Royce. So we’ve selected some of the best Chinese copy-and-paste jobs out there, and placed them side-by-side with their western doppelgangers for your convenience.

Scroll down to view our pick of the recent Chinese copycat cars, and let us know what you think of their efforts in the comments section...

China's copycat cars: are they legal?
In 2018 we spoke to Oliver Tidman, a solicitor at intellectual property law firm BRIFFA, to find out what legal standing a car maker has if it thinks its design has been copied by another.

At the time, he told us: “There is no international copyright law, but there are international agreements such as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. These require countries to recognise each other’s intellectual property laws. Copyright laws vary from one country to another, and while the rules may differ, the principles are similar.”

And it’s not simply a material object that would be the subject of breaking copyright law, but the original design itself. “In the UK, copyright law protects certain types of work, including artistic,” Tidman added. “In terms of car designs, it’s likely that copyright would subsist in any original 2D graphic – on a computer screen or a drawing.”

If a company does think a design has been copied, however, it’s not that easy to prove. “The company would have to prove that there has been copying by assessing the objective similarities and deciding whether those similarities are the result of independent creation, or whether the infringing design has been derived from the original design,” said our expert. “There must be a causal connection between the two works, which can be difficult to prove.”

In addition to copyright protection, it is possible to register designs. “If the design or prototype is deemed original, it is possible to obtain registered design protection for up to 25 years,” Tidman explained.

Copycat cats: Do these look familiar?
Check-out the copycat cars below, alongside the models they seem to have drawn inspiration from...

KDC Regola and McLaren
This is the KDC Regola – a rather crude attempt at recreating a McLaren. While the distinctive headlights, dihedral doors and orange paint are all present, there is a distinct hint of shoddiness. KDC hasn’t announced any official plans for production of its sports EV, but it is safe to assume there will be a couple of people in Woking who would have objections if they did…


Copied: McLaren 570GT



Copycat: KDC Regola





Dongfeng Jingyi S50 and Volkswagen Passat
The Dongfeng Motor Corporation has a long history of joint ventures with big western marques. Honda, Nissan and Renault have all had dealings with them over the years. However, the Jingyi S50 saloon is the product of no such venture. Unless of course you count the fact its styling is apparently a homage to one of Volkswagen’s best selling cars, the Passat.

Copied: Volkswagen Passat



Copycat: Jingyi S50





Changan CX70 T and Land Rover Discovery
Changan appears yet again on this list and yet again for producing something that looks remarkably like a JLR product. This time around though, it is the full-size Discovery’s turn to inspire the designers responsible for the CX70 T. The end result is something which looks remarkably similar to the 2017 Auto Express Car of the Year.


Copied: Land Rover Discovery



Copycat: Changan CX70 T




LandWind X7 and Range Rover Evoque
Jiangling’s LandWind X7 has long been known as a very convincing copy of the Range Rover Evoque, and although their use of a lurid green paintjob was previously a major giveaway, the adoption of a far more sensible (but still rather brash) white body for the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show has made telling the two apart even more difficult.

Land Rover was so irked by the Chinese company’s behaviour that it filed for copyright infrigement in 2016. The British firm recently won the case, forcing Jiangling to withdraw its copycat from the market and pay compensation to JLR.

Copied: Range Rover Evoque



Copycat: LandWind X7

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