Spy Shots: New Great Wall hatchback plunders Toyota Yaris' booty

Spy Shots: New Great Wall hatchback plunders Toyota Yaris' booty

Filed under: Spy Photos, Economy, China, Hatchbacks, Toyota

Great Wall i7 - Click above for image gallery

If we were heading up one of China's numerous automakers and we were looking through the annals of history for a vehicle design to crib, our choice probably wouldn't be that of the Toyota Yaris. It's not so much that the Yaris is a bad car, it's that the success of Toyota's little subcompact hatchback is probably based more on the merits of its nameplate and reputation for reliability and low running costs than its styling. No matter, China's Great Wall has indeed aped a good portion of Toyota's five-door hatchback for its latest entry into the small car wars, imaginatively named i7.

The rear end may have a lot of Toyota in it, but we especially like the front grille, which appears to be a Vulcan mind-meld between the design languages of both Dodge and Audi while managing to look completely horrid original. Inside, the i7 combines the unloved central gauge cluster of the Yaris with some very fake wood trim around the shifter and upholstery borrowed from a mid-Nineties Dodge Neon.

So far, there's no word on what powers the i7 or when it's expected to make it into production.


Gallery: Spy Shots: Great Wall i7



[Source: China Car Times | Photos: BitAuto]Spy Shots: New Great Wall hatchback plunders Toyota Yaris' booty originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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