The Defender lookalike comes with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Chinese automakers are notorious for allegedly copying the design of vehicles from other brands; it's not really much of our concern as the US market doesn't offer them anyway. But if you are interested to see what the latest China has come up with, meet the Stone 01.
In a report by Car News China, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) revealed details about the Stone 01. The SUV was created by Rox Motor and named the model, Luo Ke. But due to financial woes, the automaker collaborated with BAIC, and it is now called Stone.
Right off the bat, the Stone 01 is unmistakably a copycat of the Land Rover Defender. When viewed from the side or rear, the Stone 01 could be mistaken for the iconic SUV by untrained eyes. Even the spare tire on the tailgate mimics that of the British model. However, the front end gave it away as it didn't adopt the round headlight, and went for a boomerang-shaped headlight design.
Similar to the Defender 110 and 130, the Defender lookalike from China is also available in two wheelbase options. The standard model measures 199 inches long, 74 inches wide, and 78 inches tall, while the long wheelbase stretches the body to 208 inches.
Looking at the initial photos, the SUV is equipped with three lidars found on the roof and each side of the front fenders, suggesting it could get a wide array of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) functions.
Under the hood is a plug-in hybrid setup with a 150-horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged engine acting as a generator for a ternary lithium-ion battery pack sourced from battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL). The battery pack powers the front and rear electric motors that produce 201 hp and 268 hp, respectively.
The Stone 01 isn't the only Chinese copycat of the Land Rover Defender. Earlier this year, YangWang launched the U8, which looks like a way beefier version of the British off-roader. It was also more powerful, producing a whopping 1,100 hp from a quad-motor setup.
Keyword: Another Land Rover Defender Copycat Emerges From China