Chinese Zoyte SR9 is Porsche Macan rip-off

Chinese car-maker Zoyte Auto has released pictures and full details of its latest SUV that goes on sale today in China. And it appears to be a blatant rip-off of Porsche’s Macan.

Called the Zoyte SR9, the small/medium SUV will initially be offered with just one engine – a Mitsubishi-sourced 2.0-litre turbo that produces 140kW/250Nm and is combined with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Later on, the front-wheel drive SUV will be offered with a more affordable turbocharged 1.5-litre.

Costing less than $20,000, the Zoyte SR9 costs one fifth of the price of the most basic Macan.

Zoyte originally revealed a concept of its SR9 in 2014. Back then, Porsche attempted to sue the Chinese manufacturer for a serious copyright infringement. The production vehicle’s existence, less than two years later, appears to show it failed.

According to experts the two vehicles share striking detailing, general proportions and even the silhouette. Only the headlights, grille and lights differ.

Inside, the SR9 also copies the Macan’s general cabin architecture as seen in these images from CarNewsChina.com which broke the story of the production vehicle’s emergence.

Unfortunately, according to the Chinese car blog, it’s not the first time Zoyte Auto has been accused of plagiarism. Its SR7 model looks like an Audi Q3, its T600 an Audi Q5. According to CarNewsChina.com the firm is already working on a new larger SUV that’s based on Volkswagen’s CrossBlue plug-in diesel-electric coupe concept.