American novelist Herman Melville once said that "it is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." Judging from the Landwind X7, which was unveiled at the 2014 Guangzhou motor show, this writer is convinced that individuals from the company failed to comprehend the saying at all.
Determined to play the role of the aesthetic parrot, the Landwind X7 is pretty much a Range Rover Evoque with a different badge. Speaking to Autocar magazine, Land Rover CEO Dr. Ralf Speth has stated that "the fact that this kind of copying is ongoing in China is very disappointing."
In fact, Speth has gone on to add that the act qualifies as intellectual property theft and that Land Rover officials will be contacting Landwind operatives. "What we have seen today is not correct," he said. Chris Bryant, president of the joint venture between Jaguar Land Rover and Chery was kinder, only saying that he was "here to speak about our joint-venture Evoque".
The Landwind X7 is powered by a Mitsubishi-sourced 4G63T - essentially a detuned Evo mill - 2.0 litre, turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 188 hp and 250 Nm of torque. Transmission options include a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic with drive going to the front wheels.
Scheduled to go on sale in March 2015, the Landwind X7 will be priced at approximately 120,000 yuan (RM65,720) - which is an absolute bargain when a China-assembled Evoque goes for 400,000 yuan (RM219,069). We can only assume you get what you pay for, in this case.
GALLERY: The actual Range Rover Evoque
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