It was only a matter of time, wasn't it?
Chinese car companies aren't new to replicating existing car designs. There's the Shuanhuan SCEO, which copied the BMW X5; the Lifan 320, which took influence from the Mini Cooper; and the LandWind X7, a car that was so close to the Range Rover Evoque JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) eventually took them to court in Beijing. And lost (twice).
This is the latest one: an electric SUV called the Xpeng G3. Priced at 227,800 yuan (AUD $47,033) it offers 145kW/300Nm and likely offers around 230km range (EPA rating). Fun.
And yes, while the exterior isn't a complete rip-off, the front-end - with its LED headlight strips, grooved clamshell bonnet, A-pillar arch, and darkened panoramic roof - has strong roots to the Model X.
But what about the inside? Well that's a whole different league...
The interior is uncanny to the Tesla Model X: there's a similar minimalistic design to the front seats, with their headrests intergrated into the shoulder supports; a similar centre console (albeit a little bit higher); the same Mercedes-Benz control stalks on the steering wheel; a digital instrument binnacle with pseudo-Tesla graphics and front; and of course, the iconic Tesla centre-screen.
Not ony does the screen's orientation, position, size, and rake look familar. But it appears to even copy the Model X's user interface's layout, menu shortcuts, graphics, and font.
While Tesla has kept its tech patents open-sourced (like its hi-po charging methods and 18650 battery-cell format) in a bid to boost EV startups get off their feet, its model designs are not.
So not only has Xpeng taken advantage of Tesla's technology (fair enough - it's legal), they've also manufactured its aesthetic personality. Hmm...
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