New Toyota Land Cruiser-No, Wait, It’s a Chinese Ripoff
Well, it has happened again. Another Chinese automaker ripoff. This time the victim was Toyota and its new Land Cruiser 300 Series. Great Wall Motors calls their Land Cruiser copy “Tank 500.” Unfortunately, intellectual property theft is alive and well in China.
The “Tank 500” follows in a long line of Chinese copies
The Tank 500 follows in a long line of car copies including the Porsche Macan, Hummer, and now the Land Cruiser. Great Wall showed off their new Tank 500 at the recent Chengdu Auto Show in China. And the similarities don’t stop with the design.
The length, width, and wheelbase are all identical to the Toyota Land Cruiser. Imagine that? Departures from the Land Cruiser start at the grille. Even the front bumper has similarities to the Land Cruiser.
The wheel arches are what separates the Land Cruiser from the Tank 500
From the side, the wheel arches and wheel opening details are more conventional on the Tank 500. The Land Cruiser is going for more of a squared-off fender bulge than the rounded-off openings of the Tank. Traditionally, Land Cruisers have traditionally had squared-off wheel openings.
And the kickup at the rear of the DLO is more pronounced on the Tank. The overall profile is virtually identical between the two. Looking at the side section, the Land Cruiser has a much taller body section. The top and side DLO is lower giving the Land Cruiser ironically more of a tank proportion. The Tank’s body flanks are more of a traditional proportion.
For a good off-road candidate, body-on-frame is what you need, and the Tank has it. A coil-spring suspension, front and rear locking diffs, 29.6- and 24-degree departure angles, and 8.8-inch ground clearance is also suited for off-roading excursions. Power is from a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. It is tied into a 48-volt hybrid system cranking out 349 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque.
Would there have been a better vehicle for Great Wall to copy?
Great Wall chose a good vehicle to copy. What we’d like to see going forward are more original concepts and explorations. Both Japan and Korea have reached far beyond resorting to plagiarism. It makes for a much more healthy fraternity of designers and offers new directions that all designers might explore.
Chinese designers would be held in much better standing worldwide in the design community were they to explore rather than copy.
Tank 500 debuts in China to compete with Toyota Land Cruiser, Jeep Cherokee and Ford
Tank, the Chinese auto brand affiliated with Great Wall Motors Group, which includes both Ora and Haval brands, launched the new Tank 500 SUV, at the Chengdu International Auto Show.
While the powerful new model combines a tough exterior with a high-tech cabin, the Tank 500’s exterior design is inspired by large American SUVs, with straight corners and stereoscopic shapes such as the Toyota Land Cruiser, Chevrolet Suburban, Ford Expedition and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The.
The Tank 500 has a massive front grille in a metallic finish with the giant Tank T logo, and a slit at the end of the bonnet adds a sporty touch to the car.
The side profile design gives the car a classic look, with large chrome trim around the windows and matching roof rails, a prominent spoiler is attached to the rear of the roof, and a spare tire carrier is available at the rear fascia.
The interior of the Tank 500 looks very luxurious, and includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, along with a 14.6-inch tablet-like infotainment screen in the center console.
The interior also has air vents for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning with metal trim around the bottom of the screen, and system controls are flexibly integrated into the lower part of this area.
While the gearshift lever has a block-shape design and exits from the center console, there are several buttons for the driveline controls on its side.
The Tank 500 is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine that produces 349 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The car also has an all-wheel drive system with a low-range transfer case and available front, middle and rear locking differentials.
To put that number in perspective, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L is 192 inches long, not counting the spare wheel in the rear. By comparison, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L is 204.9 inches long.
The Tank 500 will go on sale in China later this year, while the company hasn’t said if the SUV will eventually go on sale in other markets.
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