Back in 2019, Jaguar Land Rover won a landmark court case in Beijing that prevented the Evoque-mimicking Landwind X7 from being sold. The almost-laughable copycat behavior was mocked mercilessly – but times have changed, and China is now the very epicenter of EV technology.
It has the most advanced battery systems, with the likes of CATL and BYD tipped to be the first to mass-produce game-changing solid-state packs, while its lead in both rapid-charging and autonomous driving systems is undeniable.
The Jaecoo 7, for example, was quickly labelled the ‘Temu Range Rover’ by the social media sect, given that it essentially mashes design cues from the Range Rover Evoque and Velar into a package that costs half of Jaguar Land Rover’s vehicles.
A more recent unveiling form Xpeng proved that Jaecoo’s decision to be influenced by one of the leading names in luxury SUVs wasn’t a fluke accident, as the upcoming Xpeng GX (see the image at the top of this article) looks so much like a Range Rover that the majority of the general public would find it difficult to tell them apart.
Although not available outside of China just yet, the Geely Galaxy Cruiser, which is slated to reach the UK in 2028, borrows certain design elements from the Land Rover Defender wholesale, including the side gear carriers, the rear-mounted spare wheel cover and, well, almost every exterior panel for that matter.
BYD’s premium arm YangWang is also partial to copying some of Land Rover’s homework, as the massive U8 borrows a number of body panel designs from both JLR and Rolls-Royce to create a sort of Chinese take on luxury SUVs – one that’s both eerily similar and uniquely gauche at the same time.
The imitation game
But it isn’t just British luxury SUV-makers that fall victim to the imitation game. Xpeng’s G6 also ruffled a few feathers upon launch, seeing as it’s almost impossible to tell it apart from the updated Tesla Model Y. Even the interior feels like a carefully-studied copy.
While Jaguar Land Rover and car-making goliath Chery Automobile have an ongoing joint venture in China, I still feel that is lazy to simply base designs on what they see.
The Xiaomi YU7, which comes from one of the most cutting-edge tech companies outside of California, proved the company could nail electric performance, but then it looks like an amalgamation of a Porsche and a Ferrari. Why not develop a design that’s truly unique?
While this might seem like an issue for a bit of a car nerd like myself, it doesn’t seem to bother the paying public.
A transition period?
The Jaecoo 7 became an almost instant hit when it was launched in the UK last year, with over 26,048 units registered in 2025, making up the bulk of the company’s sales. It even outsold the once all-conquering Nissan Qashqai.
Owners don’t seem to mind that passers-by are often left scratching their heads. All they really care about is the fact that it starts at just £30,115 (around $41,000 / AU$58,000), which is far less than any Range Rover offering, and that it offers a hefty amount of high-tech kit as standard. Jaecoo’s hybrid systems are also more sophisticated and more efficient.
Some insiders believe that the Chinese automotive industry is going through a transition period right now, where it moves from an imitator to an innovator, with brands like Zeekr, Lynk & Co and NIO already starting to carve out their own design language.
Javier Garcia-Gallardo, head of Zeekr’s Shanghai design studio, told Car Design News that he thinks that car culture is building in the country and that in 10-20 years’ time, we will see more brand differentiation and “future icons” emerging from China.
But until that point, we will have to witness Jaguar Land Rover’s entire back catalogue performed by your local pub’s cover band.
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