Keepin' it real fake, part XXXVII: China car makers strike again

This isn't your daddy's China. After CMEC almost succeeded in building a total rip-off of a Smart Car (Autoblog china post)and then shipping it into Smart's own home turf (now CMEC claims it was unaware of how well it was duping Smart), Haunghai Automobile has managed do a fair bit of infringing on Hyundai's Santa Fe (pictured left) with its new SUV look-alike (right). The best part is the two cars recently shared a show floor at the Beijing Auto Show, where most industry insiders agreed that pretty much the whole front of the car is a replica of the Santa Fe. Oddly enough, the rest of the car apparently apes another Korean SUV: the Kia Sorento, but it's Hyundai Motor that is currently threatening legal action over the design theft. Apparently the Korean car giant will wait to see how its Santa Fe sales in China are effected by Haunghai's "homage" before it lays down a lawsuit -- though we can't believe its odds are good at doing anything but keeping this thing from being exported anywhere else; this is China we're talking about here.

Update:check autoblog china's post in Beijing Auto Show 2006:Qisheng CUV.

[Igor @ Nov 24th 2006 4:43PM]

bah damn, left same comment 2 times on the contest page... :(

[Stephen Armbruster @ Nov 24th 2006 4:46PM]

affected not effected damnit!

[RichardC @ Nov 24th 2006 4:55PM]

Hyundai owns Kia, so there's no surprise that it's Hyundai that's doing the suing. Kia is to Hyundai just like Pontiac is to General Motors.

[Kevin @ Nov 24th 2006 4:58PM]

blech

[Kevin @ Nov 24th 2006 4:58PM]

shoobaru?

[codywatson @ Nov 24th 2006 5:03PM]

kia and hyundai are the same company... or one owns the other... or somebody else owns them both.

[Pwnded @ Nov 24th 2006 5:17PM]

Wait, who's complaining? Hyundai is complaining for design theft?

O RLY?

Hyundai Sonata
http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/HyundaiSonata/Images/RightRear.jpg

Honda Accord
http://www.gallagher.com/honda_accord_2004/2004_honda_accord_rear_side.jpg

[tenin2wenty10 @ Nov 24th 2006 5:31PM]

Pwnded, the similarities are almost non existant. sorry...

Whereas the rip off of the Santa Fe is pretty much spot on.

[Dave @ Nov 24th 2006 5:35PM]

@ Pwnded

I totally agree with your idea that those two look alike... I have pointed it out to numerous people and no one sees it like I do. I was beginning to think I was a bit crazy but you have saved me from the dr's couch.

[Revrant2394 @ Nov 24th 2006 8:33PM]

That's a mild copy, what the article is about Pwned is how blatant a copy it is.

If someone outright copied the extremely unique body of the Dodge Viper, you can bet there'd be hell, but Dodge already drew plenty of inspiration on the body from the Corvette, inspiration in key areas is one thing, a blatant rip is another.

[Sandeep @ Nov 24th 2006 5:21PM]

@ Pwnded:

Elements of successful car designs almost always make it into competing designs, but full-out copying of a design is a serious offense, as it is the livelihood of all major car manufacturers.

[Eh @ Nov 24th 2006 5:58PM]

What Im most interested in is why they copied Hyundai and Kia. I mean really, why? If you're going to copy something then atleast copy the best. Its all just bent metal and plastic screwed onto a steel frame, I see no reason why they couldnt copy a Land Rover or Cayenne unless it has something to do with China/Korea relations.

[fredouil @ Nov 24th 2006 6:26PM]

few years ago a chinese 4WD appears in Europe, after crash test, it has been rated 0, the first 0 in the history of this crash test (more than 2o years).


beware, they are cheap, they copy the design but are not security compliant yet.

but in few years, the Automobile industry in Europe/US will be wipe out.

[Colin @ Nov 24th 2006 7:03PM]

Ahhh...

Chinese cars....

Just wait until your Pop drives home a Chery in the next few years (ahh...that doesn't sound right).

US imports will be handled by one Mr. Malcolm Bricklin and Visionary Imports...You would know him from Yugo fame and in Canada, tax payers are still shaking their heads over the Bricklin.

Chery...who has a reputation for copying GM/Daewoo vehicles.

Malcolm: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Bricklin
Chery in US: http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0501/02/A01-47455.htm
Chery in Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chery

[thomas @ Nov 24th 2006 9:56PM]

Actually I think the Sonata and Accord look more similar than the two SUVs.

The "Santa Fe" is a copy of the RAV4.

http://www.autoclub.com.au/uploaded_images/toyota-rav4-2006-745683.jpg

That makes the Chinese crapmobile a copy of a copy. That's not to say they won't take over the industry in the next decade or so. Ford and GMC better step up.

[Aaron Slater @ Nov 24th 2006 10:38PM]

The interior of the Huanghai is a direct copy of the Sorento as well:

http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/11/dsc00622_huanghai_cuv.jpg

vs.

http://media.automotive.com/evox/stilllib/kia/sorento/2005/5od-4/54.jpg

[Michael @ Nov 24th 2006 11:07PM]

You know all those asian coutries have been copying everyone for decades. How do you think Japan got to be as advanced as it is today. By ripping off designs of popular American and European goods and then selling them for cheaper. Then over the years, improving upon them.
Just off the top of my head Nikon comes to mind. They ripped off the Zeiss ikon camera in the 1950's. Even took the Z from Zeiss, flipped it on it's side, and put it in front of the word ikon to get their company name.

[kk @ Nov 25th 2006 8:24AM]

http://gemssty.com/2006/10/29/top-10-copycat-cars/

This blog post has a collection of 10 of the most outrageous copycat cars that comes from China.

[Jeramy @ Nov 25th 2006 10:09PM]

why in the name of all that is holy would you rip off a hyundai??? you could probably buy the original for the same $40 that you would spend on the copy.

[IrishGandalf @ Nov 26th 2006 12:14PM]

Hyundai copied the subaru forester with the santa fe

Santa Fe:
http://www.polet-press.si/images/81/Hyundai%20santa%20fe%20-%20nosilna.jpg

Forester:
http://www.subaru.fi/bilder/forester/06main.jpg

[yumyum @ Nov 26th 2006 6:08PM]

Engadget? Autoblog? Engadget? Autoblog?
What's a cheap chinese total rip-off got to do with high tech gadgetry?

and IrishGandalf,
What on earth are you on about? You need a new pair of glasses.

[danny rho @ Nov 28th 2006 5:38PM]

Shit, I just bought Santa Fe. hot dang! they are the same.

Well, Koreann makers have been taking their design cues from Japanese makers,

no doubt about that.

But this is just down-right, in your face, what the fuck u gonna do about it,

coping.