NEW MODELS
China’s luxury cars have arrived, but can they hold up against popular rivals?
SA put status and badge snobbery ahead of price
The Chinese are coming. We know, we have been saying that for years and the predicted takeover of the global automotive industry by the Chinese has just not materialised. Companies have come and gone, small importers have seen an opportunity and then realised that many buyers in SA put status and badge snobbery ahead of price. On top of that, the Chinese government clamped down on its car makers exporting cars that failed to meet global safety regulations and was far from impressed at people criticising the quality of its vehicles. Then the Chinese car makers woke up and questioned why they were chasing international markets when they had more than a billion people in China to sell to. So no world domination yet, but there are signs of major improvements. Yes we are still seeing clones of international models and yes, there are Chinese vehicles that are seriously below par when it comes to quality, but things are changing. This was clear at the launch of two new models from China at...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.