- China’s MIIT has revealed details about Chinese brand Skyworth’s Summer minivan.
- The retro MPV looks unnervingly like VW’s classic T2 bus from the 1950s and ’60s.
- A 1.5-liter plug-in hybrid powertrain gives a total of 215 hp and 103 mph top speed.
Many Western car brands have been around for over 100 years and have a bulging back catalog of much-loved classics to borrow ideas from. Think Ferrari’s Daytona-faced 12Cilindri or VW’s microbus-inspired ID.Buzz. But China’s brands don’t have that luxury, so what do they do? Some just rip off the Western brands anyway, like this Skyworth Summer minivan.
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Details of the retro bus have been published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the accompanying images reveal it looks more like a classic VW Type 2 from the 1950s and ’60s than even VW’s own ID.Buzz does.
Copy, Paste, Cruise
Sure, the headlights are mounted much higher and the grille isn’t quite a V-shape, but the similarities are unarguable. The Summer’s roof curves over at the side, just like on a Type 2, and shape of the bumpers and side windows closely resemble those of the old timer.
It even looks like Skyworth has imitated the famous two-piece front screen arrangement of the iconic VW ‘splittie’ by fitting a one-piece windshield with a crease down the center.
The biggest difference comes at the rear where the Summer has a pair of doors that open outwards, one to each side. The VW, due to the height of the cooling fan for its air-cooled flat four, didn’t have that arrangement.
What’s Under the Sheet Metal
We’re so used to writing about new Chinese EVs, we expected the Summer to be packing an all-electric powertrain, but it’s actually a plug-in hybrid – a sector that’s growing fast in the country. A 1.5-liter petrol engine provides 154 hp (156 PS / 115 kW) and an electric motor a further 94 hp (95 PS / 70 kW), giving a total system output of 215 hp (218 PS / 160 kW). The top speed is electronically limited to 103 mph (165 kmh).
A huge 3,250 mm (128 inches) wheelbase dwarfs the 2,989 mm (117.7 inches) of space between Buzz’s front and rear axles, and even outranks the 3,000 mm (118.1 inches) of Honda’s Odyssey minivan. That should provide plenty of room for the seven passengers (including driver) the MIIT says it has seats for.
History Repeats Itself—With Legal Notices
But if the Summer is roomier than the Buzz, that won’t be the thing that winds up VW execs. It’ll be the design. The German company’s lawyers took offense in 2021 when Chinese automaker, Great Wall’s Ora brand revealed a four-door retro EV called the Punk Cat that was a shameless knock-off of a Beetle. VW didn’t take that lightly.
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In fact, the company once even brought the legal hammer down on a charming Suzuki kei van dressed up like a classic VW Bus. The listing popped up on Cars & Bids, only to get yanked offline thanks to a firmly worded letter from Wolfsburg’s lawyers. So yeah, if you think VW isn’t paying attention to the Summer, think again.
