There’s a Chinese clone of the classic Land Rover Defender and it costs more than $14,000
- This Chinese SUV looks a lot like the Land Rover Defender
- It’s an inspired take on popular off-road SUVs
- But it also packs a punch for some serious off-roading
Published on Jan 14, 2025 at 11:10 AM (UTC+4)
by Siddharth Dudeja
Last updated on Jan 14, 2025 at 5:40 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
There’s a new off-road SUV in town called BAW 212, and it’s a Chinese clone of the Land Rover Defender.
It looks just like a Defender but costs significantly less.
Not only does it look the same, but it’s also packed with some cool features and serious muscle.
Beijing Auto Works (BAW) has been making the BAW 212 off-roader for decades now, but the SUV’s latest refresh is miles apart from the previous version.
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Chinese clone of the Land Rover Defender
In the appearance department, at least.
It’s a heavily inspired take on the British legend Land Rover Defender, and no, we’re not talking about the Ineos Grenadier here.
The Grenadier has its own story, but this is a direct knockoff that also happens to back up its looks.
The adventurous-looking off-roader was announced last year and instantly caught the eyes of enthusiasts.
Under the hood, there is a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine that sends out around 150 horsepower.
All the power is routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
As for the BAW 212 SUV’s off-road capability, it has switchable four-wheel drive, front and rear differential locks, and a reduction gearbox.
On top of that, it also features disconnectable anti-swaybars and multiple drive modes that fit all terrains.
The BAW 212 is serious about off-roading
So, it’s a solid off-roader, at least on paper, and it has the looks to prove it.
In contrast, the $4,000 fake Range Rover we bought from Alibaba told a completely opposite story.
The BAW 212 looks like a Land Rover Defender and has enough hardware to be an entry-level off-roader.
While we doubt it’s an apples-to-apples comparison because the Defender has an immense amount of torque and power, it’s not really that far off.
What is far off is the price gap between both SUVs, as the BAW 212 costs a mere $14,000.
The highest-end trim goes all the way up to $20,000, which is still significantly less than what a Defender would cost you.
Chinese clones or knockoffs like these aren’t uncommon, as we’ve also even witnessed an inspired variant of the Cybertruck before.
Unfortunately for Americans, the BAW 212 is not intended for overseas markets, so you would likely not spot it on the road.
