If you see a good idea, copy it. That seems to be the motto of China's barn-storming domestic auto industry. Despite the Chinese government's protestations to the contrary, foreign automakers' intellectual property rights are simply not enforced. There are numerous Chinese made cars that borrow, or, more truthfully, simply steal anything from the occasional design cue to a whole vehicle concept. The Noble smart, which comes complete with what the brochure calls "sports car door" and the "first colorful body in China" is one of many automotive rip-offs on display at the 2008 Beijing Show.
The s-CEO is also from Shuanghuan, and yes, you're right, it's a copy of a BMW X5 - at least from the rear, where you can't see the big chrome grille and goggle-eye headlights. "Enter into the market of European Economic and Monetary Union successfully" the official brochure suggests. It's probably a somewhat optimistic claim given the100hp 2.5-liter four cylinder turbodiesel under the hood isn't about to fool anyone in Europe into thinking they've bought a bargain BMW. The brochure also claims "the car is checkless on the travel". Whatever that means.
Dongfeng has joint ventures with Honda, Nissan, Kia, PSA, manufacturing Honda Civics and CR-Vs, seven different Nissans, six different Kias, five different Citroens, and the Peugeot 206 and 307 for the Chinese market. It also does a pretty good version of the Hummer H1 - all by itself.
Beijing Jeep was one of the early Chinese automakers, building Jeeps for the Chinese Army. The company's now known as BAIC, and in addition to its joint venture manufacturing operations building Mercedes-Benz E-class, Chrysler 300C, and sundry Hyundais, it plans to take its own models to a wider market. This new Wrangler knock-off seems to be based on older-gen Jeep bits under that new looking sheet metal.
While the front end design is nowhere near as graphically strong as the original Jeep, this concept's chopped top is a neat idea that would look great on the real thing. Now that would be reverse engineering.