Chinese newcomer Forthing has responded to trademark challenges from German heavyweight Porsche over the name of the brand’s first model in Australian and New Zealand showrooms, the Taikon 5.

Officially launching in Australia this month, the Forthing Taikon 5 is a five-door, five-seat SUV similar in size to the Toyota RAV4 and offered with a choice of extended-range electric (EREV) and electric (EV) powertrains.

Priced from $36,990 drive-away, the Taikon 5 is the cheapest EREV in Australian showrooms, undercutting the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV, while the Taikon 5 EV starts at $38,990 drive-away, making it more affordable than the BYD Atto 3 Essential electric SUV.

Porsche AG has filed a trademark opposition concerning the Taikon 5 name in New Zealand, where Forthing was launched in April 2026, and one in Australia.

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Forthing is imported into both Australia and New Zealand by Ateco Group.

With challenges underway in Australia and New Zealand, Forthing issued a statement as the Taikon 5 began rolling into Australian showrooms, with many vehicles already with customers.

“Forthing Australia has taken the temporary and precautionary step of removing references to the Taikon 5 name from marketing materials due to a trademark infringement issue raised by Porsche AG in another country,” a Forthing Australia spokesperson told CarExpert. The model is now being referred to only as the Forthing Electric and the Forthing Range Extender Hybrid.

The spokesperson said the German automaker “alleges that consumers could mistake a Forthing vehicle for some Porsche models”.

“Whilst we are flattered that Porsche AG has expressed such strong interest in Forthing vehicles, until this issue is resolved, we will focus on promoting the Forthing brand and its electric and hybrid range-extender variants.”

Porsche hasn’t publicly specified the details of its alleged infringement claims in New Zealand and hasn’t commented publicly on its opposition to the Taikon trademark application in Australia.

The status of the New Zealand case is currently “in progress”, with no hearing date confirmed.

In its Australian trademark opposition, detailed on the IP Australia database, Porsche alleges Forthing parent Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor is using “substantially identical or deceptively similar trademarks”, as well as a “trademark similar to a trademark which has acquired a reputation in Australia”. It also alleges Forthing has made an application “in bad faith”.

Porsche is expected to allege the “Taikon 5” name is too similar to that of its electric sports car, the Taycan, which was introduced in 2019 and is currently priced between $181,200 and $419,000.

However, the Taikon 5 competes in an entirely different category, with its four-variant range spanning $36,990 to $42,490 drive-away.

The Australian application to register the Taikon name has attracted two separate oppositions: one from Volkswagen and another from Porsche, of which Volkswagen is the majority shareholder.

Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co Ltd must respond to the opposition claims in September and October.

From a Volkswagen brand perspective, its Australian trademark opposition may relate to the Volkswagen Tayron SUV, a new nameplate launched in 2025 in place of the previous Tiguan Allspace.

In establishing the Forthing brand here, Dongfeng, which also has joint ventures with Honda and Nissan, registered the Forthing trademark in Australia. Australian Government approval documents also listed Genially and Joyear as potential marque names, alongside several alternatives for the Taikon 5 name.

According to the approval documents, these included T5 EV, SX5GEV, T5EVO EV, LZ6460XPE1 EV and Friday REEV (also known as T5 REEV). The names cover battery-electric and range-extender versions of the same vehicle, the Taikon 5.

The challenge comes after GAC, which launched in Australia in November 2025, changed the name of its hybrid people mover from “M8” to “E9” following a clash with the BMW M8 sports car.

Similarly, another Chinese brand, Xpeng, has announced plans to launch the GX large SUV in Australian showrooms in 2027, despite the GX name already being used by Lexus for its luxury version of the Toyota LandCruiser Prado.

MORE: Explore the Forthing Taikon 5 showroom