The issue with China and copyright infringement is a sticky thorn for the rest of the world. Reports suggest that the United States and Europe lose billions of dollars in revenue due to the loose implementation of regulations on copyrights and intellectual property protection in China.
Yes, contrary to popular belief, China actually has copyright and intellectual property laws. The nation has also actually signed several agreements with the United States that seek to protect individuals and businesses from copyright infringement. But, the problem with China has always been the enforcement of these laws. Factors like corruption, cultural apathy, and conflict of local laws deter the strict enforcement of copyright regulations.
Japanese automaker, Toyota, which is effectively the largest global car manufacturer, has over the years been hit with the worst of these copyright infringements from China. Different Chinese automakers have ripped off several Toyota models over many years. Going through the list of Toyota models, you’ll realize a pattern; Chinese automakers often ‘imitate’ the most sold or the most reliable models from Toyota. However, this issue is not unique to Toyota. Other automakers like Audi, Mercedes, and Hyundai have also experienced these challenges.
It is important to note that what these Chinese automakers are doing is illegal. These ‘copycat’ models cannot be legally sold in the United States. No matter how serious the issue of copyright infringement is though, it will be a missed opportunity not to acknowledge how comical some of the copied models look. It is also a paradox how China is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, and yet, has a need to imitate technologies and innovations from other countries.
Here are 10 Toyota models Chinese manufacturers that have been blatantly copied.
10 Changfeng CT7 Pickup Truck: Copied from 2012 Toyota Hilux Double Cabin Pickup Truck
The Changfeng is a four-door pickup truck that debuted in 2016. It is produced by China’s Changfeng Motors under the Leopard brand. It is sometimes referred to as the Changfeng Leopard Pickup. The Changfeng pickup has a 2.4-liter engine that produces 147 horsepower. You can get one in rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Nobody will hold it against you if you mistake the Changfeng for the 2012 – 2014 Toyota Hilux Double Cabin. The exterior design is identical in every way except for the positioning of the fog lights.
9 BYD M6: Copied From 2012 Toyota Previa (Toyota Estima in Japan)
BYD or Build Your Dreams is currently one of China’s biggest electric vehicle manufacturers by production volume. However, its success has always been marred with controversies and lawsuits of copyright infringement. But, with state interference and ambiguity of local laws, Chinese courts usually find BYD not guilty.
The BYD M6 is a seven-seater family minivan that debuted in 2010. One could argue that most minivans have the same body design, but the M6 is body panel for body panel identical to the Toyota Previa. Even the headlights are identical. The BYD M6 is powered by a two-liter engine that produces 138 horsepower and 137 pound-feet of torque. You can also opt for a 2.4-liter engine made by Mitsubishi which produces 162 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque.
Power figures in the two minivans are also comparable, but the Previa has a more powerful variant powered by a 3.5 liter V-6, producing 271 horsepower.
8 Ruili Doda V8: Copied from: 2008 Toyota Alphard
The Doda might look the same as the luxurious Toyota Alphard but has a significantly less powerful engine. It's powered by a 2.4 liter, four-cylinder Mitsubishi engine, compared with the Alphard’s 3.5 liter V6 petrol engine. But the interior and exterior aesthetics and the vehicle’s measurements are almost identical. The Toyota Alphard measures 4,925mm long, 1,850mm tall, and 1,890mm wide, while the DoDa V8 stretches the tape at 4,900 mm long, 1830 mm tall, and 1,890 mm wide. Doda’s cabin and instrumentation panel look like a cheaper version of the Alphard’s.
7 SVH Tundar: Copied From: 2023 Toyota Tundra
The audacity of calling the Tundra clone, Tundar, is just hilarious. But, the hilarity does not end there. The Tundar copies the general exterior design cues of the Tundra pickup, but where it fails miserably is in the proportions (or maybe this is no accident, and the Chinese automaker also has a sense of humor). Unlike the Toyota Tundra, the Tundar is two-wheel drive with a 1.0-liter engine, with a top speed of 62 miles per hour. That speed befits its $6000 price tag.
6 Changan Lingxuan: Copied From 2013/2014 Toyota Innova Crysta
Changan Automobile debuted the Lingxuan in 2017. From the looks, it seems the automaker put a little effort into the build quality of the seven-seater minivan. The Changan Lingxuan is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with 125 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque. It is front-wheel drive with an option of a five-speed or six-speed manual transmission.
The Toyota Innova Crysta has a 2.5-liter diesel engine option that produces 101 horsepower and 102pound-feet of torque. The dimensions of the two vehicles are also almost identical. The Chinese knockoff measures 186.2 inches in length, 70.7 inches in width, and 68.1 inches in height. The Innova, on the other hand, is 180.5 inches long, 69.9 inches wide, and 68.9 inches tall.
5 Hengtian L4600: Copied From 2012 Toyota Land Cruiser
It should be said that some of these ‘copycat’ vehicles have a solid build quality. The Hengtian L4600 is one of them. The car is almost identical to the Land Cruiser except for the front and back logos and the headlamp detailing. In fact, you can’t tell apart the two SUVs by looking at their side profiles.
The big difference, however, is in the power output. The Chinese knockoff has a 4.6 liter V-8 engine producing 286 horsepower while the regular 2012 Toyota Land Cruiser produces considerably more power from its 5.7 liter V-8 at around 381 horsepower.
4 Dadi Shuttle: Copied From 2008 Land Cruise Prado
Yet another Land Cruiser model blatantly copied by a Chinese automaker. The Dadi Shuttle was produced and sold around the same time as the Land Cruiser Prado. The Prado and current Lexus GX share the same platform. From the copy-and-paste looks of the two SUVs, you would assume that this imitation might have been the result of a production partnership between two car manufacturers. But, there was no such documented partnership between Toyota and Dadi Automobile Group Company Limited.
3 Jonway A380: Copied from: 2003 Toyota RAV4
No surprise here. Another popular, commercially successful Toyota model was copied. This is probably the most controversial copyright infringement because the RAV4 is an instantly recognizable model. It is documented that Jonway Automobile reverse-engineered the styling of the second-generation RAV4 without a license from Toyota. The Jonway A380 is powered by either a 1.5, 1.8, 2.0, and 2.4-liter engine with front-wheel drive. There is a choice of a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission.
Interesting sidebar: Not in any way to diminish the seriousness of copyright infringement, but the Chinese perspective of ‘copying’ is slightly different. Have you heard the saying ‘imitation is the best form of flattery’? Well, the Chinese people usually take this saying quite literally. Again, I am not saying that the Chinese automakers are not aware that deliberately copying models from other manufacturers is unlawful.
There is a collective social consciousness among the Chinese people that makes it okay to copy or imitate things that they like. As mentioned in the introduction, the vehicles copied are either bestsellers and therefore quite popular globally or are considered reliable, and therefore Chinese automakers try to produce cheaper versions. The Chinese people are inclined to copy these models because they appreciate them as much as we do - maybe even a little bit more.
2 Geely Beauty Leopard: Copied from: 1993 Toyota Supra
The Geely BL was brought to market in 2003 and was produced until 2006. The front profile resembles the Toyota Celica from one angle, and the 1993 Toyota Supra from another. The rear of the Geely is definitely a Supra rip-off. When it was introduced, the Geely had a 1.3-liter engine, but later models were powered by a 1.8 liter that produced a top speed of 118 miles per hour.
The 1993 Toyota Supra, on the other hand, is a true-speed machine. It produces 320 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque from a three-liter inline-six engine. This propels the two-door sports car to a top speed of 155 miles per hour.
1 Huanghai Landscape V3: Copied From Toyota Harrier/ Lexus RX
The Landscape V3 debuted in 2011 with a choice of a two-liter, 2.4-liter, or 2.5-liter diesel engine. You can purchase the Landscape V3 in either two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Of course, this was another controversial choice of style design from Huanghai Auto because the exterior of the vehicle looks strikingly similar to the 2008 Toyota Harrier. Many Americans might not be familiar with the Harrier name, but Toyota’s luxury subsidiary, Lexus, actually made an equivalent called the Lexus RX.