The Chinese Motor Industry: A Growing Giant

There is no doubt that the general quality of Chinese vehicles has risen over the last decade. Six Chinese brands are in South Africa already, says Jake Venter.

- Jake Venter

Chinese vehicle brands imported to South Africa have had a patchy reputation. This was particularly so in the early days because a number were imported by individuals who wanted to make a quick buck, and cared little for customer service.

Today, there is a far greater chance of buying a better quality vehicle and getting it properly serviced. Most of the remaining importers are people with considerable motor industry experience, and Chinese engineers have also learnt a great deal in the last ten years. The JD Power vehicle reliability survey group predicts that Chinese design and production quality levels will be up to Western European standards by the end of next year.

For decades, the US was the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer. They were eventually overtaken by Japan, but since 2009, Chinese production has exceeded that of the US and Japan combined. Last year, China produced 28,1 million vehicles, the US 12,2 million, and Japan 9,2 million.