√Chinese car-maker builds mini Toyota Tundra knock-off

In a case of “honey, I shrunk the Tundra”, one Chinese company has blatantly copied the design and name of Toyota’s iconic US pick-up for its cut-price ute.

A niche Chinese car-maker has revealed its pint-sized pick-up which bears an uncanny resemblance to the US-built Toyota Tundra.

Intended for the Chinese market by Sino Vehicle Hub (SVH), the Tundar – yes, Tundra with the last two letters swapped – copies the exterior design of Toyota’s pick-up, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Based on the looks of the third-generation Toyota Tundra – revealed last year – the SVH Tundar’s grille, bumper and headlight design are directly lifted from the North American pick-up.

The SVH Tundar’s side profile also adopts the Toyota Tundra’s sculpted wheel arches, which continues at the rear with its tail-lights and tailgate – featuring stamped ‘Tundra’ lettering.

However, the design of the SVH Tundar’s body panels is where similarities between the two four-door pick-ups end, with the Chinese model featuring an almost upright windscreen, 13-inch wheels, and minimal ground clearance.

The interior of the SVH Tundar is one of the few design elements which hasn’t been lifted from the Toyota Tundra, equipped with Mercedes-Benz-like air vents, a three-spoke steering wheel and digital dash – air-conditioning is also listed as a standard feature.

According to SVH, the Tundar is 4150mm long, 1680mm wide and 1540mm tall – considerably smaller than the Toyota Tundra’s respective measurements of 5933mm, 2037mm and 1981mm.

Powered by a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine built by Isuzu, the SVH Tundar’s five-speed manual transmission delivers drive to the rear wheels, achieving a top speed of 100km/h.

A Facebook post by SVH claims it is attempting to sell the Tundar outside China, saying the mini pick-up is priced from $US5000 ($AU7660) before on-road costs and delivery fees – more than eight times the $US41,000 ($AU58,900) starting price of the Toyota Tundra SR 4×4 in the US.

While the SVH Tundar is unlikely to land on local shores, Toyota has recently announced it is evaluating the Tundra for Australia, looking to cash in on local demand for North American pick-ups.

As reported last week, if you can’t wait for the Tundra, a Japanese company is offering facelift kits for the HiLux, converting Australia’s best-selling vehicle into a look-alike of the full-size model.

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