If you’re tired of commuting around your gated community via a golf cart, perhaps we can interest you in a miniature version of a Range Rover. Available on Alibaba, the e-commerce site lists the knockoff for as little as $3,000.
Produced by Nuoding New Energy Technology, not only is the mini Range Rover cheaper than a new golf cart, you get doors and windows, too! And plenty of room for your golf bags—as long as you keep them in the back seat. As the team from Supercar Blondie can attest in its review, “It’s good from afar, but it’s far from good once you start getting close.”
Sergi Galiano and Nathan Bain take receipt of the Range Rover dupe and, during its unboxing, express equal parts surprise, giddiness, and disappointment. The New Energy version is notably smaller than a genuine Range Rover. While the real deal measures 198.9 inches in length, 86.97 inches in width, and 73.62 inches in height, the dimensions of the Chinese copy are 149.6 x 68.9 x 65.0 inches. So, more like a sub-compact crossover than a clown car. Cheap and spacious?!
The copycat gets kudos for its design accuracy despite its likely low-budget production. The Alibaba product carries over the silver exterior details from the bonafide Rover but also mimics the headlights and taillights in style and lighting to a T. “I don’t know how any of this is legal, by the way,” wonders Sergi.
The grille, though, is merely a plastic panel that kinda sorta resembles the iconic Range Rover’s facial features. Nevertheless, cheap, spacious, and not ugly! Okay, maybe except for the white protruding door handles that look like they came off a hand-me-down refrigerator.
The quality of materials and craftsmanship are, indeed, absolute rubbish. When Sergi pushes down on the wannabe Rover’s hood, it flexes like a cheap aluminum pan overheating in an oven. Also, there’s weather stripping all over the exterior. On most (all?) cars, the black rubber is usually hidden away, but on the dupe, it’s wrapped around the vehicle exterior, along the seals and the door jambs, like cheap masking tape. There are also panel gaps that even Tesla would laugh at.
The interior offers more questions than confidence. There is a large touchscreen display, which can be managed by the steering wheel-mounted controls. And the gear shifter console doesn’t look bad until you actually use it. Then the entire panel feels like it’s going to come off. “It feels like it’s all about to fall apart, but it works,” says Nathan.
How about the performance? Well, it’s certainly not equipped with a 523-horsepower twin-turbo V8. The mini replica is as powerful as an electric stove with 3,500 watts, has a range of 90 kilometers (56 miles), and a top speed of 50 km/h (31 mph). The drag race the mockup against the real McCoy is more sad than comical. Still, the Chinese came out with a Range Rover EV before Land Rover did.
Also, hey, did we mention the imitation Rover was cheap? Three kits are available, and pricing is based on the number of pieces per kit. The priciest one, which Supercar Blondie received, goes for $3,393 and is listed as “1-4 pieces.” However, based on their review, it looks like the pseudo SUV arrived in one piece. Even the steering wheel was attached. Shipping is extra, which Nathan says could make the all-in costs up to 10 grand, depending on the country. The Alibaba listing says delivery is about 10 days.
Ultimately, is it really a bad buy for cruising the neighborhood? (I can’t imagine this being street-legal in the U.S.) It looks better than a golf cart, costs less, and carries more stuff. But maybe the target audience is tweens who have long graduated from their toddler Power Wheels but mom and dad won’t let them drive the real Range Rover yet. I mean, why else would it come equipped with rainbow headlights?