The Chinese language automotive trade has matured quickly and largely moved away from copycat designs, however there are nonetheless exceptions.

A kind of is the Ickx K2 that can be bought in Italy by DR Vehicles, an Italian agency established in 2006 that rebadges autos from Chery and JAC Motors.

It’s now increasing to incorporate the BJ40 from BAIC Motor’s Beijing model.

The K2, which would be the first mannequin below the brand new Ickx model, was first revealed final 12 months and is now happening sale in Italy.

It’s powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine producing 119kW of energy at 4000rpm and 380Nm of torque at 2600rpm, mated with an eight-speed computerized transmission.

Claimed mixed cycle gas financial system is 10.3L/100km.

It boasts method, departure and ramp angles of 37 levels, 31 levels and 23 levels, respectively, with 220mm of floor clearance and a fording depth of 500mm.

There’s double-wishbone entrance suspension and a stable rear axle with coil springs, with digital locking entrance and rear differentials and part-time all-wheel drive with selectable low-range gearing.

It’s smaller than the 4882mm-long Wrangler Limitless, measuring 4645mm lengthy. The K2 has a kerb weight of 2180kg.

Accessible in a single variant, it’s priced at €54,500 (A$90,915), round €30,000 lower than the Jeep Wrangler which is bought in Italy solely in plug-in hybrid 4xe guise.

The K2 comes customary with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, leather-based upholstery, heated entrance seats, an influence driver’s seat, and 20-inch alloy wheels.

You’ll solely discover two airbags, nevertheless.

In Wrangler vogue, there’s additionally a detachable hardtop, although the carbon-fibre, diamond-patterned entrance grille steers away from the Jeep’s basic seven-slot design… and the Beijing BJ40’s fairly apparent copy of it.

DR Vehicles sometimes employs a significantly totally different grille design on its rebadges, which regularly provides them the looks of Grand Theft Auto vehicles.

Whereas this isn’t an official licence-built Wrangler, there’s a tenuous connection to the long-lasting Jeep off-roader.

BAIC Motor and American Motors Company established a joint-venture in 1984 referred to as Beijing Jeep, the primary such partnership between a Chinese language and a Western automaker.

AMC on the time was the proprietor of Jeep, and Beijing Jeep (later Beijing Benz) produced Jeeps for the Chinese language market just like the XJ Cherokee.

However BAIC Motor ceased constructing Jeep autos in 2006, with the American model as an alternative partnering with Guangzhou Car Group.

It’s unclear whether or not Jeep has tried to cease the sale of the Beijing BJ40/Ickx K2, contemplating it has efficiently sued Mahindra to forestall it from promoting its equally Wrangler-inspired Thar in Australia.