Land Rover CEO Pissed at LandWind Over Their X7 Evoque Clone

Land Rover CEO Dr Ralf Speth said LandWind’s X7 SUV qualifies as an Intellectual Property theft and will approach Chinese officials about the matter at the Guangzhou Auto Show.

“The fact that this kind of copying is ongoing in China is very disappointing. The simple principle is that it is not something that should happen; the Intellectual Property is owned by Jaguar Land Rover and if you break that IP then you are in breach of international regulations that apply around the world,” Speth told Autocar magazine.

The executive said Land Rover has invested heavily in China with its joint venture partner Chery and what LandWind has done with the X7 damages its business in China.

“I will talk to our officials and I will talk to our partners at Chery to find a way around this situation. I cannot imagine Chinese officials will be happy at any actions that undermine the credibility of the country. What we have seen today is not correct,” Speth added.

The LandWind X7 looks very similar to the Range Rover Evoque, a model that Land Rover recently started producing in China. While the Evoque is priced from around £40,000, the LandWind X7 will go on sale later this month for just £14,000. The Chinese lookalike is powered by a 188hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, mated to a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

LandWind is a Chinese carmaker created as a joint venture between Changan Auto and Jiangling Motors Corporation.