LANDWIND
X7
// Range
Rover clone from China
Landwind Motor has
released the first official photos of the final production version of the
extremely controversial Landwind X7 SUV, a 99% Chinese clone of the Range Rover
Evoque. The Landwind X7 will be launched on the Chinese car market on August 6,
with a price ranging from 135.000 to 150.000 yuan ($ 21.740 – 24.164).
The real Evoque is
manufactured in China as well, by the Chery-JLR joint venture. It was launched
on the Chinese market in February, priced from 448.000 yuan to 582.800 yuan ($ 71.600
– 93.017).
The Landwind X7 is
thus much cheaper, but it ain’t exactly a bare bones budget vehicle. The list
of standard equipment is simply impressive. All variants will get:
ABS, EBD
(electronic brake force distribution system), ESC (electronic stability control
system), TCS (traction control system), PBA (emergency brake assist system),
HAC (uphill start assist system), HDC (downhill assist system), CBC (a set of 8
other unspecified safety support systems), heated and electronically adjustable
exterior mirrors, electronic parking brake, dual front airbags, electronic
parking brake, dual front airbags, keyless start / entry, electronic dimming
inside rear view mirror, reverse camera imagery, automatic air conditioning,
automatic wipers, an 10.2 inch touch screen for the infotainment system, cruise
control, GPS navigation, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Additionally, the
top spec version gets: leather seats, heated seats, electrically adjustable
seats, lane departure warning system, an eight speaker sound system, a
panoramic sunroof (1100x950mm), and a tire pressure monitoring system.
That’s a shipload
of kit for the money. We don’t know how well it all works, but it is a fact
that this sort of systems are getting cheaper by the day without loosing too
much when it comes to quality. In the end it is all about scale and mass
production, something the Chinese are famously good at.
Landwind is a
Chinese car maker jointly owned by Jiangling Motors and Changan Auto,
coincidentally (or not?) both joint venture partners of Ford, with
Jiangling-Ford and Changan-Ford respectively. Ford owned Land Rover-Range Rover
until 2008 when they sold it on to the TATA conglomerate of India.
Very clean
under-the-bonnet design, much better than most other local Chinese automakers.
The X7 is powered by a Mitsubishi-sourced 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder
petrol engine with 190 hp and 250 nm, mated to a six-speed manual or an
eight-speed automatic.
~ carnewschina.com
