[Erik Latranyi]

From JP Magazine:

Reader, Thomas C., just shared this photo with us. Chinese-market Wrangler? No fold-down windshield? Grand Cherokee-esque headlights that wrap into the fenders? Plastic flares hiding larger wheel openings?

Read more: http://blogs.jpmagazine.com/6800602/new-jeeps/square-headlights-return/#ixzz2VC8KSX4Q



Answered my own question:

http://chinacarstrucks.com/2012-09-19-the-chinese-jeep-wrangler-copy-the-baic-b40-launching-in-china-this-fall-2/


It is the BAIC B40. BAIC is a Chinese car company. This is clearly a knockoff. Sad.

 

[Mike V.]

Can we say lawsuit?

 

[MoparNorm]

Typical Chinese copy, wonder what drivetrain it has?
Unfortunately a lawsuit in china doesn't accomplish much.

 

[Mike V.]

Typical Chinese copy, wonder what drivetrain it has?
Unfortunately a lawsuit in china doesn't accomplish much.

Unfortunately, yes you are right.

Mike

 

[guyverfanboy]

Lame. The Chinese need to learn to innovate, not copy.

 

[xjgary]

Did anyone see the "Related Posts" under the 2nd article? It says Mercedes bought a 12% interest in DIAC, the company that builds the Wrangler knock-off. Hmmm. They tried to ruin the real thing but failed, so now they buy a major interest in the copy? This just seems ironic to me.

 

[TripleT]

Chinese know a knock off, just like the rest of the world. It might be fine for a belt or shirt but when it comes to Cars they like real thing, if they can afford the Tax.

 

[unverferth]

Unbelievable

 

[Dave Z]

Daimler can be very, very petty.

I wonder if they are justifying it by saying to each other, "You know that those Chargers are just E-class knockoffs and those Grand Cherokees are just our ML-I-mean-GL-or-whatever-it-is-today. They deserve it."

 

[unclejjg]

I think it is brilliant, personally. I wish the US would have done the same thing, instead of let our country be invaded by foreign products. Not to mention, what the hell do you guys expect? We train the clowns at our colleges with scholarships....we let them experience the good life....of course they want it for themselves.

Give it another 10 years, and that vehicle will be offered here too. Hell, Jeep could use the competition....maybe we'd have more Jeeps instead of "Jeeps".

 

[browens1534]

Wasn't BAIC AMC-then Chrysler- Then DaimlerChrysler partner in China???

 

[Mike V.]

Wasn't BAIC AMC-then Chrysler- Then DaimlerChrysler partner in China???

Yes BAIC had a Chrysler link in there somewhere.

Mike

 

[TripleT]

I think it is brilliant, personally. I wish the US would have done the same thing, instead of let our country be invaded by foreign products. Not to mention, what the hell do you guys expect? We train the clowns at our colleges with scholarships....we let them experience the good life....of course they want it for themselves.

Give it another 10 years, and that vehicle will be offered here too. Hell, Jeep could use the competition....maybe we'd have more Jeeps instead of "Jeeps".

Yeah, they been saying that for 2 decades, but not even the Chinese like Chinese cars. I understand the thinking I, that the Chinese would follow the Japanese and Korean but so far the transfer has been very slow and has progressed has been disappoint from a Chinese view. Geely which is one of the best and directly owns Volvo still has made the kind of progress one would expect. Anyone who has been on the ground understand how hard it is to get them to monitor incoming quality and keep ongoing quality in focus. There is this Western focus that Asia is singular culturally when in reality they are extremely different.

The list of foreign born innovators is long and been a incalculable benefit to this country..... so clown is a strong word.

 

[JKU12]

I think it is brilliant, personally. I wish the US would have done the same thing, instead of let our country be invaded by foreign products. Not to mention, what the hell do you guys expect? We train the clowns at our colleges with scholarships....we let them experience the good life....of course they want it for themselves.

Give it another 10 years, and that vehicle will be offered here too. Hell, Jeep could use the competition....maybe we'd have more Jeeps instead of "Jeeps".

Many of these "clowns" provide tremendous innovation and ultimately US jobs. Encouraging the best and brightest to come here to America is what keeps us moving forward. Foreign born individuals here in America and Chinese auto knock-offs are two completely unrelated topics.

 

[unclejjg]

Many of these "clowns" provide tremendous innovation and ultimately US jobs. Encouraging the best and brightest to come here to America is what keeps us moving forward. Foreign born individuals here in America and Chinese auto knock-offs are two completely unrelated topics.

Of the foreign students I knew from college, all have gone back to their country after working here for a short time. Idealism is what got us in this mess to begin with....

 

[Dave Z]

You mean, like Thomas Edison’s dad... or Isaac Asimov and his family... or Albert Einstein... or all those ex-Nazis who ran our space program for decades...? We should have kept them all out?

Idealism is what created this country, so yes, it's what got us into this mess.

If you're referring to the trade imbalance, you can blame absolutism more than anything else. Any attempt to point out the issues of making China a most-favored-nation were dismissed as protectionism — and they still are. Is globalism idealism? Yes, but so is protectionism.

 

[tomtex]

What should Jeep do now! Maybe move to its new wrangler designs sooner than planed?

 

[TripleT]

You mean, like Thomas Edison’s dad... or Isaac Asimov and his family... or Albert Einstein... or all those ex-Nazis who ran our space program for decades...? We should have kept them all out?

Idealism is what created this country, so yes, it's what got us into this mess.

If you're referring to the trade imbalance, you can blame absolutism more than anything else. Any attempt to point out the issues of making China a most-favored-nation were dismissed as protectionism — and they still are. Is globalism idealism? Yes, but so is protectionism.

That darn Clown Telsa

 

[GasAxe]

We should have kept them all out?

Some say that policy should have started in 1492...

Back on topic, any guesses on how much more efficient the Chinese Wrangler is with the more aerodynamic skin assuming the frame and drivetrain are comparable to the US Wrangler? It may be worth noting that a "tighter" body may be in the Wranglers future and this is as good as any other preview.

 

[unclejjg]

You mean, like Thomas Edison’s dad... or Isaac Asimov and his family... or Albert Einstein... or all those ex-Nazis who ran our space program for decades...? We should have kept them all out?

Idealism is what created this country, so yes, it's what got us into this mess.

If you're referring to the trade imbalance, you can blame absolutism more than anything else. Any attempt to point out the issues of making China a most-favored-nation were dismissed as protectionism — and they still are. Is globalism idealism? Yes, but so is protectionism.

I wouldn't say keep them all out.

I would say pick & choose, and demand a return for services rendered. I would say trade when fair trade is agreed upon by both sides of the transaction. I would say name your economic friends, and spurn your economic enemies.

I'd also say that the global marketplace is one big game of King of the Hill, and the US has spent the last 20 years lifting other contestants to the summit instead of guarding our territory.