BAIC has launched its Xingtan 5X in China. The SUV comes with a choice of plug-in hybrid and electric drivelines. But more importantly, it looks exactly like a Land Rover Defender!
While JLR is in a legal battle with BYD over the Ti7 being banned for copying the Defender’s looks, this BAIC Xingtan 5X goes one step further. It looks exactly like a copy of Land Rover’s off-road-oriented model, with an updated look.
It was launched in China on November 12. According to Car News China, local media described it as “a budget Defender alternative”. On social media, people referred to it as “a poor man’s Defender”.
The Xingtan 5X is certainly cheap, compared to the Land Rover it blatantly copies. It is priced from 129,900 yuan, which is roughly €17,500. There is even a limited-time 3,000 yuan discount. And it seems to be an instant hit. BAIC already has 30,000 pre-orders for the model.
Given its looks, it is unlikely the Xingtan 5X will ever come to Europe. Even if it would pass possible legal steps from JLR in China, export to Europe would trigger a similar response with a much higher probability of being fined or banned.
Technical specifications
But besides its looks, the Xingtan 5X is quite an interesting proposition. The model is 4,865 mm long, 2,000 mm wide and 1,910 mm tall, and available in both electric and plug-in hybrid versions.
The electric version comes with an 81.9 kWh LFP battery, giving it a range of 625 km, measured using the generous CLTC cycle. Forget about off-roading: the electric Xingtan 5X is rear-wheel-drive only, with a 227 kW motor. It does have an 800 V architecture though, with a 30-80 % DC charging time of under 15 minutes.
The plug-in hybrid also comes with a generous 50.4 kWh battery. It uses a 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine. This version is available in two- or four-wheel-drive. 2WD’s have a 200 kW electric motor, and a 310 km CLTC range. 4WD’s get a second 200 kW motor, and manage 285 km (CLTC), with the bonus of a rear mechanical diff lock and crawl mode.
In its 4WD trim, the Xingtan 5X could do some off-roading. It has a riding height of 228 mm and a wading depth of 600 m—approach and departure angles are 25 and 28 degrees, respectively. But the model is unlikely to come with the advanced off-road driving modes the Land Rover Defender offers.
Some trim levels come with Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 5 Pro driver-assistance system. It uses 27 sensors, including a solid-state lidar.
Serial copycat
Beijing Automotive Group, or BAIC (formerly Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation), is China’s oldest state-owned carmaker, starting in 1958. In 2025, it sold 1.752 million vehicles, earning it 6th place in the Chinese manufacturer ranking.
Besides vehicles under its own brands, it also builds vehicles through joint ventures. One of the most notable is Beijing Benz (51% BAIC / 49% Mercedes-Benz), which builds several Mercedes models. BAIC is also the contract manufacturer for Xiaomi’s electric models, the SU7 and YU7.
BAIC is one of the brands known for copying existing designs, which the Xingtan 5X seems to confirm once more. Its BJ80 and BJ81 models closely resemble the Mercedes G-Class. And until 2023, it built the BJ40, which drew inspiration from the Jeep Wrangler.
It got away with those copycat models, probably because of close ties to Mercedes-Benz and former ties to Jeep. In the beginning of the 1980’s, Beijing Jeep Corporation was the first joint venture with a foreign manufacturer in China.
It brought Mercedes-Benz to the group during the DaimlerChrysler era. This led to Beijing Benz when Jeep ended up at Stellantis, along with the rest of the Chrysler Group.
But the Xingtan 5X is a different story, since BAIC has no ties to JLR. It will be interesting to see how JLR reacts. The British company managed to stop Chinese sales of the Range Rover Evoke-copying LandWind X7 in 2019. But only after the model had been on sale since 2014…
