Land Wind X7 given go-ahead for sale, Evoque copying claims dismissed – report

According to Autocar, Chinese officials have dismissed Land Rover's complaints that the Land Wind X7 is a copy of its five-door Range Rover Evoque.

As a consequence, the Land Wind X7 is now cleared for sale in China. The British publication believes that Land Rover is investigating what other legal avenues it has to halt sales and continue claims over copyright theft. While it is still pursuing legal redress, the Tata-owned company is not making any on-the-record statements to the press.

When the Land Wind X7 was revealed late last year, Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, indicated that his company, and its local joint venture partner Chery, would immediately file a complaint with the relevant Chinese authorities.

The Land Wind brand is a joint venture between Changan Auto and Jiangling Motors Corporation. Changan currently produces cars in conjunction with Ford, Suzuki and PSA Peugeot Citroen, while Jiangling is part owned by Ford and mainly concentrates on commercial vehicles.

When the Land Wind X7 goes on sale, it will initially be powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with about 142kW of power, which will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Later versions will be available with a 1.8-litre turbo, all-wheel drive and an electronic differential lock.

According to CarNewsChina, the Land Wind X7 should be priced from around 120,000 yuan ($25,100). That's substantially less than the entry-level Evoque, which can set Chinese buyers back 448,000 yuan ($93,700) without any options.