Impeccable! Look at it, and one would not recognize this pickup truck is not from the Ford (US). In actual, they are made in China, exceptionally differentiated by logo. The copying is done bit by bit very precisely, and we accept that Ford F-150 and the Kawei K1 pictured here are not exactly the same. It could be believed (without logo) that K1 maybe spoofed as the facelift version of F-150 that Ford had planned for China.
However, this isn’t the first time the Chinese copied the major automobile designs. In the recent days, we also reported Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Jeep Wrangler been copied by some of the automakers at China, were displayed at the Beijing Auto Show 2014.
Kawei K1 is powered by a Mitsubishi borrowed 2.4-liter, petrol four-cylinder engine producing 141 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. The diesel option too is given, a 3.2-liter six-cylinder with 106 hp and 181 lb-ft. 5-speed manual gearbox transmits all the power to rear wheels. The diesel version attains a top-speed of 120 kmph, and the petrol 130 kmph.
No matter what others are doing to hide their activity of copying, shying away to comment to media and such, but Kawei posed with gentility. Pointing at the original Ford Raptor, it said: “No matter the black net grille and the outline of the headlamp, even if the styles of fog lamp and engine cover, it looks the same as Ford Raptor.”
However, interiors too aren’t of degraded material, it seems leather on most of components inside. Judging its build quality by pictures, the vehicle also looks solidly built, unlike any of the other Chinese vehicles which seem to tear apart after rolling off the showroom. Hope so, the carmaker Kawei Auto, brand of organization called Jiangsu Kawei Automotive Industry Group, based in the great city of Danyang in Jiangsu Province, is quite serious taking forward its automotive business. And on that note, let us brief, it has produced 10.000 K1 trucks last year – exported it to Middle East and Africa. Now, planned to double the production facility, and release 20,000 units by next year. Price of the Kawei K1 was uttered at 100.000 yuan or 16.000 USD.