Landwind X6

The Landwind X6 is a mid-size SUV produced by Jiangling Motor Holding, a joint venture between Changan Auto and Jiangling Motors Corporation Group (JMCG). It was originally known as the JMC Landwind and was renamed Landwind X6 when Landwind became an independent brand under JMC. The model is largely based on older imported technology and design, specifically the Isuzu Rodeo, which was sold from 1998 to 2004. Two SUVs are built on this platform: the 5-door Landwind X6 and the 3-door Landwind X9, with the latter discontinued in 2016. In the European market, the Landwind X6 was available with two Mitsubishi-built gasoline engines and one Isuzu-built diesel engine: a 2.0 L unit producing 115 hp (84 kW), a 2.4 L unit producing 125 hp (92 kW), and a 2.8 L diesel producing 92 hp (68 kW). The only transmission offered was a five-speed manual gearbox. In China, a long-wheelbase variant of the SUV was also sold under the name JMC or Jiangling Baowei, and a pickup truck version was called the JMC Baodian. The Landwind X6 attracted controversy after a series of safety tests. German car club ADAC, in a crash test carried out for Euro NCAP, showed that a driver would not survive a head-on collision at 64 km/h (40 mph). The Dutch importer called for a test by German safety monitoring agency TÜV, which confirmed that the Landwind met all mandatory safety criteria according to ECE R94, despite the worst crash results in decades. The controversy continued, with opponents arguing that the TÜV test was insufficient and that R94 was outdated. Ron Zwaans, general director of Landwind Europe, stated that the company was working with ADAC to improve the Landwind's safety and aimed to pass the more rigorous Euro NCAP testing. Landwind was a Chinese automobile marque created to give Jiangling Motor Group a more independent passenger-vehicle identity and greater control over vehicle development. The marque traces its origins to 1998, when Sun Min, then chairman of Jiangling Motor Corporation Group, established Jiangling Lufeng Automobile Co., Ltd. The project was intended to reduce the group's dependence on technology and production relationships associated with Ford and Isuzu. Early plans called for Landwind vehicles to be designed by the new venture while being manufactured on Isuzu-related production lines, but opposition from Ford contributed to the abandonment of that initial project. Landwind vehicles eventually went on sale in 2002, and the marque was relaunched in November 2004 under Jiangling Motor Holding. Its ownership structure reflected the joint-venture character of that company: Jiangxi Guokong Automotive Investment Corporation held 50 percent, Jiangling Motors Corporation Group held 25 percent, and Changan Automobile held the remaining 25 percent. The brand concentrated primarily on sport-utility vehicles, crossover utility vehicles, and compact multipurpose vehicles, with a smaller sedan presence. Its range included the X6, X8, X9, X5, X7, X2, Xiaoyao, Rongyao, CV9, and Forward. Landwind became internationally associated with two disputes involving Jaguar Land Rover. The first concerned the brand name itself. After Jiangling Motor Holding registered the English name Landwind in 2005, Jaguar Land Rover objected that it was confusingly similar to Land Rover. The European Union complaint was dismissed in 2011. The second and more consequential dispute concerned the Landwind X7, whose exterior design was alleged by Jaguar Land Rover to copy the Range Rover Evoque. In 2016, Jaguar Land Rover brought proceedings against Jiangling Motor Holding in Beijing. In 2019, the court dismissed the copyright-infringement claim because the relevant intellectual-property claims had not been properly established in China, but it ruled for Jaguar Land Rover on unfair competition. The ruling temporarily prohibited production and sales of the X7 in China, subject to appeal. Public reporting initially misstated the defendant as Jiangling Motors rather than Jiangling Motor Holding, prompting a correction and a separate clarification from Jiangling Motors. Landwind's commercial performance weakened sharply after 2016. The brand reportedly sold approximately 80,000 vehicles at its 2016 peak but only about 1,000 vehicles in 2019. Production of Landwind-badged vehicles ceased by 2020, and the marque stopped operating. From 2021, the former Landwind factory was transferred to Changan Automobile, which used the facility to manufacture its own vehicles, including the Raeton CC. Landwind is therefore best understood as a discontinued Chinese passenger-vehicle brand rather than an active international automaker.

The Landwind X6 emerged from Jiangling Motor Holding's effort to market an SUV under the JMC and later Landwind names. In its earlier identity, the vehicle was referred to as the JMC Landwind. It was subsequently presented as the Landwind X6 when Landwind operated as an independent marque within the Jiangling-related automotive structure. The model was a five-door SUV, while the related three-door X9 occupied a shorter and more compact configuration. The vehicle's technical basis was closely related to the Isuzu Rodeo sold from 1998 to 2004. This relationship reflected a broader pattern in the development of some early Chinese vehicles, in which older foreign platforms, components, and design approaches were adapted for domestic and export production. The same general SUV platform supported the X6 and X9. In China, a long-wheelbase derivative was sold under Jiangling or JMC branding as the Jiangling Baowei. A related pickup version was marketed as the JMC Baodian, showing how the underlying architecture was used across multiple utility-vehicle body styles. European-market specifications included two Mitsubishi-built gasoline engines and an Isuzu-built diesel engine. The identified gasoline engines displaced 2.0 and 2.4 litres and were rated at roughly 115 and 125 horsepower. The 2.8-litre diesel was rated at roughly 92 horsepower. The documented transmission was a five-speed manual. These specifications supported the model's practical, low-cost positioning, but the available reference material does not provide a complete chronology of engine revisions, trim levels, production locations, or sales volumes. The most consequential event in the model's public history was its safety controversy in Europe. ADAC publicized the results of a frontal crash test performed for Euro NCAP at 64 km/h. The test reportedly produced severe structural deformation and was described as indicating that the driver would not survive the collision. The findings made the X6 a prominent example in debates over the safety of early Chinese vehicles entering European markets. The Dutch importer responded by requesting a TÜV assessment. TÜV later confirmed that the vehicle satisfied the mandatory requirements associated with ECE Regulation R94, as described in the available account. Critics emphasized that the TÜV procedure used a lower collision speed of 54 km/h and was a regulatory compliance test rather than an equivalent substitute for a comprehensive consumer safety program. They also argued that the regulatory threshold did not adequately address serious lower-body injuries or the broader injury criteria considered by modern independent assessments. A Landwind Europe executive, Ron Zwaans, said that the company intended to cooperate with ADAC on improvements and ultimately sought to pass more demanding Euro NCAP testing. Landwind continued to promote a broader model range. At the 2006 Paris Motor Show, it displayed the X-Pedition, an updated SUV related to the X range, and the Fashion, also known as the Landwind CV9, an MPV intended to compete in the same general size category as vehicles such as the Kia Carens. The three-door X9 was later discontinued in 2016 according to the available reference, but the material does not establish a definitive discontinuation date for the X6 itself. The model's current production and market status therefore remain unclear. Landwind began as an attempt by Jiangling Motor Corporation Group to establish an independent passenger-vehicle marque. In 1998, Sun Min, then chairman of JMCG, established Jiangling Lufeng Automobile Co., Ltd. The strategic objective was to strengthen the group's own technical development and reduce its reliance on Ford and Isuzu. The proposed operating model separated design and production: Landwind-related vehicles would be designed by the new venture but built using Isuzu production lines. Ford objected to the project, and the original plan was eventually abandoned. Despite that setback, vehicles carrying the Landwind name reached the market in 2002. Jiangling Motor Holding relaunched the marque in November 2004. Jiangling Motor Holding was a joint venture owned by Jiangxi Guokong Automotive Investment Corporation, with a 50 percent stake, Jiangling Motors Corporation Group, with 25 percent, and Changan Automobile, with 25 percent. Landwind served as the joint venture's consumer-facing automobile marque while concentrating on China's growing SUV and crossover market. The early range included the X9, X6, X8, CV9, and Forward. The X9 was an SUV sold from 2001 to 2009, while the X6 was sold from 2005 to 2016. The CV9 compact MPV and Forward sedan were produced during the second half of the 2000s and early 2010s. The X8, introduced in 2009 and produced through 2021, became one of the marque's longer-running SUV products. The X5 debuted at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November 2012 and was subsequently sold through 2021. Landwind's international profile was shaped less by export success than by legal disputes. In 2005, Jaguar Land Rover challenged Jiangling Motor Holding's registration of the English-language name Landwind in the European Union, arguing that it resembled Land Rover. The complaint was dismissed in 2011. A more serious dispute began in 2016, when Jaguar Land Rover alleged that the Landwind X7 copied the appearance of the Range Rover Evoque. The case was brought against Jiangling Motor Holding at the Beijing Chaoyang District Court. In 2019, the court rejected the copyright-infringement claim because the relevant intellectual-property claims had been improperly made and were invalid in China. It nevertheless ruled for Jaguar Land Rover on unfair competition and temporarily banned production and sales of the X7 in China. The case was subject to appeal. Reporting around the proceedings also caused confusion because some accounts identified Jiangling Motors as the defendant; Jiangling Motors denied involvement, and later reporting corrected the corporate identity to Jiangling Motor Holding. The brand's product portfolio expanded in the late 2010s with the X2, Xiaoyao, and Rongyao compact crossovers. The X7, sold from 2015 to 2019, was the model most closely connected with the dispute with Jaguar Land Rover. A larger SUV, code-named E32, was also reportedly under development and intended to sit above the X5, but its planned 2014 launch did not result in a documented production model in the supplied reference material. Landwind's market position deteriorated rapidly. The marque reportedly reached approximately 80,000 vehicles in sales in 2016, but volumes fell to about 1,000 in 2019. Production of Landwind-badged vehicles ended by 2020, and the brand ceased operations. Beginning in 2021, the former Landwind factory was transferred to Changan Automobile, a former co-owner of the joint venture, for production of Changan vehicles such as the Raeton CC. Landwind consequently remains a discontinued marque whose history illustrates both the growth of China's independent automobile brands and the legal and commercial risks surrounding imitation allegations and weak late-stage demand.

• 2021

  Former factory transferred to Changan

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  Changan Automobile took over the former Landwind factory for its own vehicle production.

• 2020

  Operations end

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  Landwind-badged vehicle production had ceased and the marque stopped operating.

• 2019

  Unfair-competition ruling against Jiangling Motor Holding

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  The court rejected the copyright claim but ruled for Jaguar Land Rover on unfair competition and temporarily restricted X7 production and sales.

• 2016

  Related Landwind X9 discontinued

  [1]Landwind X6en.wikipedia.org

  The related three-door Landwind X9 was reported as discontinued. This does not establish the end of X6 production.

• 2016

  Jaguar Land Rover brings X7 case

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  Jaguar Land Rover sued Jiangling Motor Holding over alleged copying of the Range Rover Evoque design.

• 2015

  Landwind X7 launched

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  The X7 entered the range as a crossover and later became the focus of Jaguar Land Rover litigation.

• 2012

  Landwind X5 unveiled

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  The X5 made its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show.

• 2011

  Name complaint dismissed

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  The European Union complaint concerning similarity between Landwind and Land Rover was dismissed.

• 2009

  Landwind X8 introduced

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  The X8 joined the brand's SUV range.

• 2006

  Paris Motor Show appearance

  [1]Landwind X6en.wikipedia.org

  Landwind displayed the X-Pedition SUV and Fashion/CV9 MPV at the Paris Motor Show.

• 2005

  Landwind name challenged by Jaguar Land Rover

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  Jaguar Land Rover objected to the registration of the Landwind name in the European Union.

• 2004

  Marque relaunched by Jiangling Motor Holding

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  Jiangling Motor Holding relaunched Landwind in November.

• 2002

  Landwind vehicles enter the market

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  Vehicles carrying the Landwind name went on sale.

• 1998

  Landwind project established

  [2]Landwinden.wikipedia.org

  Sun Min established Jiangling Lufeng Automobile Co., Ltd. to develop an independent Jiangling-affiliated automobile marque.

• Introduced as the JMC Landwind

  [1]Landwind X6en.wikipedia.org

  The vehicle was initially known as the JMC Landwind before the Landwind name was used as an independent brand designation and the model became known as the X6.

• Landwind X6 name adopted

  [1]Landwind X6en.wikipedia.org

  The five-door SUV became identified as the Landwind X6 within the Landwind model range.

An affordable, utility-focused mid-size SUV using a platform and technology lineage associated with the earlier Isuzu Rodeo. A Chinese mass-market passenger-vehicle marque focused mainly on SUVs and crossovers, created to support Jiangling's independent vehicle-development ambitions.

• Mid-size SUV · 2005

  Landwind X6

  A five-door mid-size SUV developed by Jiangling Motor Holding and marketed under the Landwind name. Its engineering and design were substantially related to the 1998–2004 Isuzu Rodeo. European-market versions were described with 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre Mitsubishi-built gasoline engines and a 2.8-litre Isuzu-built diesel, paired with a five-speed manual transmission in the documented specification. The model was sold or proposed for sale in China and Europe and became particularly known for controversy surrounding its crash-test performance. A Landwind SUV produced from 2005 to 2016. The X6 represented the brand's effort to build a durable, utility-oriented product range before its later shift toward newer crossovers.

• SUV

  JMC Landwind

  The earlier name associated with the vehicle before it was presented as the Landwind X6. It represented the JMC-branded phase of the same SUV lineage and reflects the model's development within the Jiangling-related joint-venture structure.

• Long-wheelbase SUV

  Jiangling Baowei

  A long-wheelbase related version sold in China under Jiangling or JMC branding. The available material identifies it as a domestic-market variant of the SUV family but does not provide complete specifications or a separate production history.

• Pickup truck

  JMC Baodian

  A pickup derivative associated with the same Jiangling utility-vehicle platform. The cited technical description identifies a JX493ZLQ4F engine producing up to 109 horsepower and 245 Nm of torque, with a five-speed manual transmission.

• SUV · 2001

  Landwind X9

  An early Landwind SUV sold from 2001 to 2009. It formed part of the marque's initial utility-vehicle line as the brand established itself in the Chinese market.

• SUV · 2009

  Landwind X8

  An SUV introduced in 2009 and listed as remaining in production through 2021. It was one of Landwind's longest-running products and a central model in its SUV-focused portfolio.

• Compact MPV · 2005

  Landwind CV9

  A compact multipurpose vehicle sold from 2005 to 2011, broadening Landwind's range beyond SUVs and targeting practical family and passenger transport uses.

• Sedan · 2006

  Landwind Forward

  A sedan offered from 2006 to 2011. It was a relatively limited departure from Landwind's stronger emphasis on sport-utility and multipurpose vehicles.

• Crossover utility vehicle · 2012

  Landwind X5

  A crossover unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November 2012 and sold through 2021. The X5 marked Landwind's move toward a more contemporary crossover format.

• Crossover utility vehicle · 2015

  Landwind X7

  A crossover sold from 2015 to 2019. Its styling became the subject of Jaguar Land Rover's Beijing litigation alleging that the vehicle copied the Range Rover Evoque.

• Crossover utility vehicle · 2017

  Landwind X2

  A compact crossover offered from 2017 to 2021 as part of Landwind's later attempt to compete in the expanding small-crossover segment.

• Compact crossover · 2018

  Landwind Xiaoyao

  A compact crossover introduced in the brand's late period and listed as being sold from 2018 to 2021.

• Compact crossover · 2019

  Landwind Rongyao

  A compact crossover introduced in 2019 and listed as remaining in the range through 2021, shortly before Landwind operations ended.

• 2016

  Jaguar Land Rover design dispute over the X7

  Jaguar Land Rover alleged that the Landwind X7 copied the design of the Range Rover Evoque and sued Jiangling Motor Holding in Beijing. The court later rejected the copyright claim but ruled against Jiangling Motor Holding on unfair competition.

  Source

• Severe crash-test controversy

  ADAC publicized a frontal crash test conducted for Euro NCAP in which the Landwind reportedly suffered severe structural deformation at 64 km/h. The result prompted claims that the driver would not survive the collision and became a major criticism of the model's safety.

  Source

• Dispute over TÜV compliance testing

  TÜV later confirmed compliance with the mandatory ECE R94 requirement in the test sought by the Dutch importer. Critics argued that the lower-speed regulatory test was not comparable to a more demanding Euro NCAP assessment and did not fully address severe injuries.

  Source

Read more

• 2021

  Transfer of the former Landwind factoryStrategy

  Background

  Landwind production had ended and the marque was no longer operating.

  Action taken

  The former Landwind factory was transferred to Changan Automobile.

  Aftermath

  The site was used to manufacture Changan vehicles, including the Raeton CC.

  Source

• 2019

  Response to the X7 court rulingOther

  Background

  The Beijing court rejected Jaguar Land Rover's copyright claim but found Jiangling Motor Holding liable on unfair competition.

  Action taken

  Production and sales of the X7 were temporarily prohibited in China, with an appeal available to Jiangling Motor Holding.

  Aftermath

  The ruling compounded commercial pressure on a marque whose sales had already fallen sharply.

  Source

• 2012

  Launch of the X5 crossoverProduct launch

  Background

  Landwind needed newer products as Chinese consumer demand broadened toward crossover utility vehicles.

  Action taken

  The X5 was unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show.

  Aftermath

  The X5 became part of the brand's later product range and was listed through 2021.

  Source

• 2004

  Relaunch under Jiangling Motor HoldingStrategy

  Background

  The initial Landwind project had been abandoned, but Jiangling continued pursuing an independent passenger-vehicle marque.

  Action taken

  Jiangling Motor Holding relaunched Landwind in November 2004.

  Aftermath

  The marque developed a range centered on SUVs, crossovers, an MPV, and a sedan.

  Source

• 1998

  Establishment of an independent marque projectStrategy

  Background

  Jiangling Motor Corporation Group sought to improve its own technical capabilities and reduce dependence on Ford and Isuzu.

  Action taken

  Sun Min established Jiangling Lufeng Automobile Co., Ltd. to develop Landwind vehicles.

  Aftermath

  The original manufacturing plan was abandoned after Ford opposition, although Landwind vehicles later reached the market.

  Source

• Landwind separated the model identity from the earlier JMC nameStrategy

  Background

  The SUV was initially known as the JMC Landwind and was later identified as the Landwind X6 as Landwind became an independent brand within the Jiangling-related structure.

  Action taken

  The vehicle was repositioned and named as part of the Landwind X SUV range.

  Aftermath

  The model continued to be associated with Jiangling and JMC variants, while its Landwind branding supported export-market presentation.

  Source

• Importer sought TÜV testing after unfavorable crash resultsOther

  Background

  The ADAC-related Euro NCAP crash test created public concern about the vehicle's structural integrity and occupant protection.

  Action taken

  The Dutch importer requested an assessment by TÜV to demonstrate compliance with applicable European requirements.

  Aftermath

  TÜV confirmed compliance with ECE R94 as described in the source, but critics continued to distinguish minimum regulatory compliance from strong independent crash-test performance.

  Source

1. 1Landwind X6en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Landwinden.wikipedia.org