How good is JLR Range Rover Evoque's Chinese doppelganger Landwind X7?

British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has decided to sue Chinese carmaker Landwind for allegedly copying the design of its Ranger Rover Evoque. This is a step which car manufacturers take rarely as winning against copycat Chinese carmakers is not always fruitful and also creates a negative brand image in the world's largest car market. We compare the two cars two find out exactly how similar, or different they are.

Design

Beginning at the front end, one of the major differences between the two cars is the front grille. The Range Rover Evoque features a thin slat of chrome running underneath a black grille with a small Land Rover badge sitting on one side. The Landwind X7 features a thin slat of chrome running over a black mesh grille with the Landwind badge sitting right in the centre. The headlamps on the Evoque are more sharply styled while the headlamps of the X7 curve a little on the outside. The front bumper retains the same lines as the Evoque but differences can be noticed in the fog lamps and air dam. Oh, and also where it says Range Rover in front of the Evoque, it says Landwind on the X7 in the same font.

Also Read: Jaguar Land Rover sues Chinese automaker over Evoque copycat

The Range Rover Evoque features heat vents on the hood and the side. The X7 gives the one on the hood a complete miss and has a fake vent on the front fender which doesn't extend on to the door as in the case of the Evoque. The shoulder line and the doors look identical but the Landwind X7 has a chrome strip running underneath the windows, which is not present on the Range Rover Evoque. The X7 also has a roof rack which is again not present on the Evoque.

Landwind has done an excellent job of copying the rear with bumper being an exact match, and other than the name of the two companies and the rear tail lamps, not a lot is different. The rear tail lamps are well-differentiated on the two with the Range Rover Evoque again featuring more sharply styled lights. Oh, and again the Landwind X7 has a rear wiper which is not present on the Range Rover Evoque.

The major differences between in the X7 can be mirrored to look like the Range Rover Evoque by using body kits, and replacing the front grille. After making these changes, it becomes quite difficult to distinguish between the two at first glance.

The interiors of the Evoque and the X7 are also pretty similar, with the difference being in terms of a bigger touch-screen on the X7 but the quality of the Evoque's cabin is far superior.

Also Read: Jaguar Land Rover production crosses half million-mark

Powertrain

Now this is where the real difference lies in the two vehicles. The Range Rover Evoque sold in India is powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine creating 188 bhp and 420 Nm of torque. It is paired to a nine-speed automatic gearbox which can send power to all four wheels. The Landwind X7 sports a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine putting out 188 bhp and 250 Nm of torque. It is mated to either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox which sends power to only the front wheels.

While the power output is almost the same, the torque output is quite different because the X7 has a turbo-charged petrol engine and is driven by two wheels while the Range Rover Evoque has a diesel engine and has four driven wheels.

Price

The Range Rover Evoque sold in India start at Rs 48.6 lakh and go all the way up to Rs 63.2 lakh. Now these prices are ex-showroom, New Delhi. The Landwind X7 is sold in China for approximately 1,50,000 Chinese Yuan which when converted to INR spells out Rs 15.2 lakh (approx).

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