JLR posts tongue-in-cheek response after Chinese brand fails stair challenge

Jaguar Land Rover has responded to a failed attempt by a Chinese carmaker to achieve a famous ‘stair climb’ that the British brand managed in its Range Rover Sport back in 2018.

Over the last week, footage of the Chery-made Fulwin Fengyun X3L has emerged, showing the plug-in hybrid off-roader attempting to climb the stairway at Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China.

Bystander footage uploaded to social media shows the SUV start to climb the stairs before stopping, sliding backwards down the stairs and colliding with the edge of the walkway, causing significant damage to the structure in the process.

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The stairs – which lead up to a famous ‘Heaven’s Gate’ – contain 999 individual steps and, for much of the route, includes an average gradient of 45 degrees. It makes it a significant challenge for a car to tackle.

However, back in 2018, JLR achieved just that with its then-new Range Rover Sport, which managed to ascend the full stair set and reach the ‘Heaven’s Gate’ finish.

Chery said in a statement shared with Chinese media, which has been translated to English: “Preliminary investigation confirms that the direct cause of the accident was the accidental detachment of the safety rope fixing point of the testing device, which caused the safety rope to become entangled in the right wheel, obstructing power output, causing the vehicle to slide down and crash into the guardrail, resulting in partial damage to the guardrail.

“We sincerely apologise for the damage caused to the Tianmen Mountain site by this test and promise to do our utmost to repair it, assume liability for compensation, and handle all follow-up matters properly.

In a tongue-in-cheek response, JLR has posted a video of its original Range Rover Sport effort to its social channels, stating ‘it’s difficult to surpass a Range Rover Sport – but we do love a challenge’.

It is believed that Chery will undertake the stair attempt again shortly.