Hawtai B35 to see production. IP lawyers at the ready . . .

Shaking off the threat of legal action and condemnation from automotive industry commentators, Chinese car maker Hawtai has announced plans to place its controversial B35 into production.
Unveiled as a lightly veiled concept at the Beijing auto show last April, the B35 draws clear stylistic inspiration from the first-generation Porsche Cayenne, mimicking the look of the German SUV in great detail in all but a few areas of its familiar looking exterior design.
One of those areas is its bold chromed grille, which appears to have been borrowed directly from the Bentley Continental GT. Its trapezoidal shaped headlamps and heavily flared wheelarches also appear uncannily similar to those gracing the Audi Q7.
The B35 is based on four-wheel drive underpinnings from the first generation Hyundai Sante Fe, which were purchased by Hawtai as part of joint venture operations conducted in China by the two car makers.
Power for the new Chinese market only SUV is planned to come from a turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine developed by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) as well as two in-house developed diesels: a 1.8 and 2.0-litre.

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