Chinese cars - still some way to go

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Wed 4 Jul 2007 13:00
Chinese cars - still some way to go - gmac
I've just had a look on the just-auto.com website and in the Blog there, they were discussing the performance of Chinese manufacturers vehicles in the ADAC tests.
It appears they still have not taken onboard the shortcomings found on their cars in 2005.

The side impact of this family saloon is just scary.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvhuFvkX688

Thankfully we have type approval rules and regs to protect us here.
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Wed 4 Jul 2007 13:57
Chinese cars - still some way to go - Saltrampen
Ties into what two chinese guys from Shanghai office told me a couple of years ago, when looking at all the stuff thats made in China and sold in the west - Not much of it is for sale in China, and what is for sale in China is of a lower quality.
They probably do not have the same level of research / testing involved in car design available locally as in the west. What I expect they will do in future is get designs tested and developed in the west and then do the tooling and construction in China or cobble something up from "Previous models" and add a few safety features.
Have Honda/Toyota etc shifted any factories from Japan to China in a big way yet?


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Thu 5 Jul 2007 14:42
Chinese cars - still some way to go - Ian (Cape Town)
They are becoming very popular here - brands like Geeli, Chana etc making inroads in the light-commercial sector. (But then so has Tata, which just goes to show!)
Effectively a bog-standard basic vehicle, with not much to break, and if the works driver breaks it, cheap as chips to fix.

One of my work colleagues has recently taken part in a 3000km leg of the Great "China to Cape Town" promotional trip in one of the little trucklets (search "chana bakkie" for an idea!).
he says his bottom is still sore!
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Thu 5 Jul 2007 15:08
Chinese cars - still some way to go - gmac
Hmmm...I'm thinking Volvo.

They are up for sale with a sticker price of around the 8bn. mark (not sure if that's £'s or $'s).

Either way it could be a way of the Chinese gaining valuable knowledge in making cars which stand a chance of gaining entry to the European or American markets.

A loan from the Chinese government and repayment holiday until the cars are global commodities like washing machines.
Who cares if they never reach the age to require an MOT, be that three or four years, you can always pop out and buy another for a couple of thousand pounds. That's less than one years depreciation on a 20k car.
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Thu 5 Jul 2007 16:32
Chinese cars - still some way to go - rogue-trooper
surely you don't have to spend £/$ 8bn to get expertese on making safer cars. I would have thought that it would be easier paying someone £/$ 500k to do it
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Thu 5 Jul 2007 16:56
Chinese cars - still some way to go - gmac
True.
However, in these times where image is everything you have a ready made market where the Volvo badge still counts for something.
You could argue Renault have the safest badge according to NCAP ratings but if you ask anyone in the street to name a car with a strong, safe image Volvo is still up there.
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Thu 5 Jul 2007 19:16
Chinese cars - still some way to go - T Lucas
The Chinese cars will take a share of the market,not going to happen overnight but its going to happen.
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