2025 CopyCat Awards

2025 Copycat Award Winners

​"Not all snowflakes are the same, but yours is too close to another."

​​    Not all copycats look exactly like the model they are copying.  Some utilize key aspects, while others copy the entire design.  Each year AutoLooks outlines which products are utilizing someone else's design and gives them our CopyCat award.  Below is our list for 2025 and an outline of what each company has borrowed.

    This year China copies from within its own boarders and gives us a new truck which borrows from multiple products.  Again we find ourselves overrun by Defender copycats, as it seems no one can design a true off roader which doesn't borrow from either Jeep or Land Rover.

---

2025 Aito M5

Again with another Porsche knockoff

    Even with the backing of Huawei, it seems that Seres still can't borrowing from the Volkswagen A.G.  We get it, everyone wants to be a success story like the Cayenne was back in the day.  But today this product has saturated its brand so far down, that it no longer plays with the big players in the sports car ring.

Maybe for Seres next trick, they will release a Boxster or 911 counterpart to add to the image of the new M5.  It could work, just likes how both its image and name have seemed to work in its home market.

---

2025 BAW 212

Defender or FJ55.  Maybe both won't notice what we did.​

     Funny how some companies think they can get away with coping products.  But its even worse when they borrow from multiple products to throw off the car buying public.  AutoLooks doesn't fool that easy and we know what BAW is trying to do with their all new 212. 
          As most of the competition fights

over Land Rovers image, BAW is trying a different approach by adding in aspects from one of Defenders greatest rivals.  Unlike others who use Jeep parts, BAW has decided to jump into the Toyota parts bin for there extra parts.  Too bad we can see right through their ruse, as we know what they are trying to hide on the new 212.

---

2025 BYD Seal U

I Seal U there Renault!

      Stealing is wrong in any way you think about it.  But when you steal twice as much in one shot, that's even worse.  Well don't tell BYD that this mall security guard, just caught them trying to steal designs from the market.
       BYD should know better than to steal from the market they are slowing taking 

over.  But when you are this big, nothing will stand in your way of progress.  And that is what seems to be going on at BYD, as they have borrowed design aspects from two separate Renault models.  Guess stealing is only ok if you are on top of the world, or are a World Leader.......cough Trudeau.

---

2025 Chery Tiggo 7 Sport

Nothing sporting about copying a copy

      Yet again we are back to stealing the image of the Range Rover Evoque.  Guess when you make a market changing design, then you are eventually going to wind up with copycats.  But when one of the larger players in the automotive market does it, it just seems bad.  But who are we to talk.......oh wait, that's right, we

based our original award off of the first copy of this model.
       Guess Chery thought they could keep us from finding out about this one, as we did miss a few cars from our list this year.  To bad for them, this wasn't one of them.  And for that here's your award.

---

2025 Foton Tunland V7

It's really bad when you borrow from multiple models

     It's bad enough when you copy one design, but two is even worse.  With the profile of a Nissan Titan, Foton was able to bring to life their V7.  But one profile was not enough, as they took the front and rear clip from an F-150 Raptor.  We get it that you want your design to come out as the best out there, but using the best

from the market is not the answer.  Only original designs are the answer when it comes to making a ground breaking product.  Guess Foton doesn't care about about being ground breaking, and only wants that stack of green.

---

2025 Foton Tunland V9

Jurassic Parks technology did make it off the island.

      Talk about stealing someone else's thunder, as Foton not only gave us a double copycat, but a complete clone of a dinosaur.  This stolen T-Rex technology, is less enhanced as the original, so we figure that Foton didn't work out all of the genome kinks that John Hammond managed to do in his initial breakthrough.

      Guess when you steal the initial technology, its not much of a breakthrough, as you are just trying to catch up to the original.

---

2025 GAC Hyptec HL

Top tier company cloning

    GAC is a company who always seemed to be at the top of its game.  Breaking through the mold of copycat culture that has immersed the Chinese market, we all thought that they would never sink to the markets level.  Well, we were wrong, as their new sub-brands entry not only copies its design formula, but takes its

form from within its own boarders.  Too bad for GAC, as most domestic brands seek out copies from outside of their boarders to keep the market from doubling up on itself.  Guess GAC didn't want to reach that far, or they were limited on time in the end.

---

2025 ICH-X K3

Different market. Same Copy

     It was bad enough when the original Jetour Traveller won its CopyCat award last year.  But when think you can enter another market with a different company, then you have serious corporate issues.
        Using the same platform and design as the Traveller, the K3 is initially a carbon copy made for the European marketplace

from a domestic brand.  But this should not surprise us, as all of the other ICH-X products come from China as well.

---

2025 Izera Hatchback

New company.  Old image

     Izera is new to the market and helping put Poland on the automotive map.  But when you dig deep and really take a look at their first product, you start to wonder why it looks familiar.  No, the company was not here before.  But, the car was and still is.
      Using the base profile from a Mazda 3

Izera has given us a near carbon copy of one of the best looking hatchbacks on the market.  Their only major difference, is that they shortened the rear overhang and changed the front and rear clip.  This does give it its own look, but in all reality, it still has the same profile.

---

2025 Jetour Shanhai L6

Carbon copy from the trashcan

      Jetour and Chevrolet are not in bed together, but it seems like someone from the family was.  Seems like Jetour may have been snooping through the garbage at Chevrolet's Chinese headquarters, as the new Shanhai L6 is a near exact carbon copy of the Seeker / Trax model.  It's either that or someone in the Chevrolet family

is having an affair with someone at Jetour, as we can tell this product is from the same genome pool.

---

2025 Kia Tasman

Look twice and you will see it

        We had a funny feeling as we rated the all new pickup from Kia.  Something seemed a bit familiar as we came to the rear.  It wasn't a good looking rear at all and really didn't appeal to us.  We would not have kept looking at this rear in our yoga class.  But something still appeal to our senses.  And as we looked closer we 

began to see a few familiar aspects from another make.  
      Seems that Kia has been playing with idea of adding in some key Jeep aspects to their first truck to help it blend into the marketplace.  We won't fully complain about this approach, as these borrowed aspects do this truck some good, as the rest of its design could use a major overhaul.  
        We do commend Kia for not completely overhauling the Gladiator into their own stable.  But we would like to ask if they could tone down what is there's on this design, as it does cause plastic blindness.

---

2025 Lecar 459

When you make a better copy

        Lecar is new to the came and it seems to be off to a decent start.  Borrowing the design formula from the Model Y, they are well on their way into the EV world.  But unlike the original, Lecar managed to make one the most bland cars on the road, better.
     Hailing from Brazil, Lecar managed to 

make the Model Y better by shortening its overhangs, upgrading its light package and adding on a bit more character.  Added to that, its hybrid system is sure to win over more of the mid-range crowd than dedicated EV fans.  And it seems there timing couldn't be any better, as EV sales drop and hybrid sales rise.  Let's just hope this little hybrid makes its way up north.

---

2025 Luxeed S7

When you try to join the cool kids

      Luxeed is a step out of the standard format and into the premium category for Chery.  So, why does it want to join the sport standard crowd?  That is truly a great question to ask them, as they have borrowed one of the most iconic light fixtures around.
         Using the cool sunglasses tail light 

design from Dodge, Luxeed is aiming to join the sport category with a bit more premium appeal.  Can they do it, or will they fail to get invited in.

---

2025 Luxeed S9

Bland can become more bland

        Yes, you can make something more bland.  And in the automotive world, this is certainly true when it comes to the EV market.  Simple is the name of the game in the EV kingdom and no one does it like Tesla.  With only Mercedes-Benz beating it for ultimate blandness, Tesla is still a bland taste in your mouth.

     So, why would you think of making one of its products even worse?  That is a good question to ask Chery and Huawei, as they released their new S9 ALV, which borrows the profile from both the Model Y and Model X.  But that is not the worst part and the main reason they won this award.  Their design actually made the look of both Tesla models better.  Yes, you can do that and it seems Chery's new premium brand has managed to do it.  Let's hope an update will come sooner than later for the S9.

---

2025 Mahindra Thar Roxx

Born from a Jeep and still wanting to be one

    The Thar was born from a manufacturing deal with Jeep.  Today this deal no longer exists, but the demand for the Mahindra model has remained.  Even with Jeep sales present in their home market, Mahindra still won't back down from using its original form.  But when you have your country on your backside,

nothing will stop you from producing this clone.
       Too bad for Jeep, as the Mahindra takes all of its thunder in India, but back at home, this model has been fought off with design disputes and regulations.  The Thar may win at home, but on a global scale it has lost the battle.  Let's hope they decided to finally change its appeal next time.

---

2025 Renault 4 e-Tech

Reborn into someone else's body

        4 reasons to get one.  Cheap, agile, clean and cool.  But we can add one reason to shy away from this model.  CopyCat.  
        Yes, the 4 e-Tech may seem like an all new model from Renault, but it is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.  Utilizing the same form as the Mini Countryman, Renault thought they could manage to 

get this little CUV past our profile test.  It would have worked, if they didn't add of that plastic cladding.  This is what really gave away the image they were going for.  Hopefully they retract some of this on the refresh, to keep the 4's original image intacted.

---

2025 Xiaomi SU7

The McLaren sedan we all wanted

     2024 was the year for technology companies to enter the automotive race.  And with both Huawei and Xiaomi dipping there feet into the automotive waters, it was just a matter of time before someone would try to make what we all wanted.
       As Huawei has been jumping into

bed with everyone, Xiaomi has been going it alone.  But going it alone means you have to do all of the work.  And when you have to do all of the work, you might start to cut on some corners.
     Xiaomi did this when it came to their first product, as they started borrowing aspects from a few different cars to make their own.  With the feel of a Porsche and the appeal of a McLaren, Xiaomi has managed to give us a product we all thought was going to hit the market, but never did.  The McLaren sedan.
     Lamborghini and Ferrari shied away from sedans, whereas Porsche embraced them.  McLaren played with the idea, but eventually backtracked on it.  Guess what they thought up would have been something like the SU7, as Xiaomi has used McLarens lights and colours to bring us a real life McLaren sedan.  The only downfall being that it doesn't come with a V8.

---

2025 Xiaomi YU7

One closet project to another

     Similar to their initial offering, Xiaomi has once again pulled off the cover of what could have been a McLaren product.  Again using aspects from McLarens products, Xiaomi has given life to a product which was said to be dead before it arrived. 
      But when you don't have any original

canvas to go off of, you have to get creative.  And that is where the profile of the newly released Purosangue came into play.  As others have overused the Urus and Evoque profiles, it was time for someone to use one from Ferrari.  But in true copycat fashion, Xiaomi had to add in some aspects from there own garage.  These may have helped out the final design, but did not help its case of being a CopyCat.   Let's hope this design morphs into its own once it breaks free from its cocoon.

---

     Want to give us your take on a copycat product.  Then send us an email.