While reading this article about how
super-low priced Chinese SUVs have cut into the low priced Jeep Cherokee 2500 in China, it’s impossible not to notice
that the Shuanghuan S-RV is a Honda CRV. The company even went out of their way to name it to remind everyone that they
stole the design. I decided to do some investigating on the subject.
At least I found that Honda (and Audi, since the S-RV used two of the rings on an Audi grille as the symbol)
had sued Shuanghuan for the blatant
rip-off. Upon further research, it looks as though no company that has sued a Chinese automaker for
intellectual property rights has won a case. Chinese automakers are stealing the popular designs, teaming it up with
old powertrains and cheap interiors and selling them for thousands less than the originals. Is it any wonder why the
?Chery? name looks so much like ?Chevy?? How?s that Pradda bag of yours holding up?
Other fun ?We swear we didn?t steal the design!? vehicles:
Great Wall Motor Company was accused by Nissan for stealing their Frontier nose for an SUV. ?We did not infringe the
IPR of any other motor producers,? was the response from Great Wall. You decide.
A company called Geely chopped the front and rear from a Mercedes C-Class and grafted them on a
compact car. Not only a rip off, but a joke.
Some more can be found here, including the
Toyota Tacoma copy, also by Great Wall.
It will be very interesting to see what Chery brings to the table design-wise when a few of their U.S.-bound cars
break cover at the Shanghai Motor Show later this month. If the clay mock-up is any indicator, Nissan once again will
want to get a piece of the action.