Copyright Violations & Cars
April 23, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
First it was designer handbags, than designer clothing, than Hyundai decided to copy the Porsche Cayenne for its Santa Fe, but although the Santa Fe and the Cayenne looked noticeably similar, they were not exactly a direct copy. However then along came this from Huanghai Auto in China.
At first glance you might think oh the front looks pretty original, perhaps to us it does, but its actually a near identical copy of the Pontiac Torrent, a car we don’t get in Australia.
Not a bad effort by the Chinese manufacturer, it looks almost better than the Pontiac Torrent. Of course to make it look original, Huanghai Auto decided to copy the lexus rx series for the rear:
Not a bad looking car! If this is what we are going to expect from the Chinese in the next few year, we will surely see a BMW 7 Series mixed with an Aston martin, powered by a 1.5L engine from a Yaris.
Print it: 
It’s annoying when car companies steal direct models from other car companies, come up with your own design!
I think you’ll find the Santa Fe was launched before the Cayenne. I do hope their likeness is nothing more than a coincidence.
Maybe Porsche pulled a Chinese trick and copied the Santa Fe :p
Just kidding… yes, some cars might look similar… probably due to the fact that they might have hired the same design guy(s) to do their car.
The first thought that crossed my mind was HALF CUT! And it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s what their “production” line was doing :)
Cheers
Steve
Two words.. Holden Epica.
BMW & MERCs are already knocked off in China. There badged something else and know idea what engine they have in them but I was in China January and saw an X5 clone. I mean it looks like it is ade from BMXs tooling .Also Mercs. As long as they don’t sell them outside China there right,when you go over the boarder you see the real stuff again.No knock offs allowed in Hong Kong. Husband came back from factory visit last Saturday and is finding hard to even bring back copy DVD’s for me anymore. Hong Kong are realy coming down on the stuff .
Well there goes Rover !!!!! Not that I would have owned one anyway.
Check the link.http://www.expressandstar.co.uk/2007/03/26/rover-firm-unveils-factory/
This is an article out of a China newspaper on what was being made for the China market back in Oct 2004
They say
“BMW China announced Friday that more than 10,000 domestically-made luxury BMWs have been sold in China since Oct. 16, 2003, when the company released the first made-in-China BMWs.
Up to May 2004, Shengyang-based BMW China has manufactured, for Chinese consumers, five kinds of autos among BMW 5 Series and BMW 3 Series, namely 318i, 325i, 520i, and 530i, with prices ranging from 35,000 to 70,000 yuan (4,232 to 8,464 US dollars).
“We are very satisfied with the sale of these hi-end autos in such a short time,” said Fang Zhiyong, vice president of BMW China.
However, the 10,000 sale in the first year fell short of the company’s expectation of 18,000 to 25,000, as some media reported last year. The company’s mid-term plan is to hit an annual sale of 30,000 autos of BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series from present to 2005.
Fang explained that after an immense growth, Chinese auto market stays stable this year. “It shows the market is maturing and has great potential,” he said.
Up to now, there are only two players on China’s market of homemade luxury cars, BMW and Audi. The market dominator Audi sold 28,000 autos, including 23,600 Audi A6 and 4,400 Audi A4 in the first half of 2004.
And Just days ago, Audi announced a price cut of luxury cars, putting a lot pressure on BMW, whose high price, as analysts said, reduced its sale.
According to General Motor Shanghai, Cadillac will have its CTS model produced in China by the end of this year; in 2005, it will enter the market.
Other luxury car giants such as Mercedes Benz, VOLVO are warming up to show their China made versions in domestic market in the near future. “
china is the market to be for car manufacturers. legit car manufacturers that is.
chinese are amazing at copying things. despite what material and how much of it there is, they can copy it!
Holy crap this is old news and it’s so old I think that person named Lisa is now knowin as Bavarian Missile.
Hi all!!
PLEASE, PLEASE send web site address where is Chinese Porsche Cayenne copy!! :)
THANKS!!!