Chinese automakers can’t stop copying and cloning.
And why would they? As long as stay out of Europe and the U.S. the are
basically set and safe. The latest addition to the clone cars is this Changan
X70A, looking far too much like a Discovery Series III/IV.
The similarities are especially strong from the
sides. Bonnet, doors, rear window, fenders, it all looks very familiar. This
particular example is even painted in a Land Rover-kind of shade of brown. But
not all is Land-Rover like.
The engine isn’t exactly in Land Rover territory
either a lazy 1.5 liter petrol with 107 horses and 145 Nm, mated to a
five-speed manual sending power to the front wheels. The wheels might be tiny
but the X70A is not a small car 4620/1770/1840 mm, and wheelbase is 2750 mm. The
Discovery Series IV for comparison: 4838/2022/1841 mm, and wheelbase is 2885 mm.
The interior is very dark, because
most local Chinese automakers are getting very good at fitting more
light-colored airy interiors into their cars. Changan doesn’t follow this
fashion and goes for gray, black, more gray, more black, and then some gray.
The Changan X70A will hit the Chinese car market on
January 27. Price will range from 59.900 yuan to 76.900 yuan. The cheapest Land
Rover available in China is the locally-made Discovery Sport which starts at
358.000 yuan, or almost six times the price of the cheapest X70A.
