No matter how positive a motor show has been in China, there’s nearly always been something to provoke a ‘but’ when you draw conclusions on the state of the world’s largest car market and how it presents itself to the rest of the world.
That 'but' is usually a cringeworthy copycat vehicle, or something that seems built in such a way that you know it would fall apart the minute they wheel it off the stand.
But - and here’s that 'but' used for another reason - not the 2019 Shanghai motor show. Here was a show where the local car makers really could proudly display their products side-by-side with the western brands, demonstratiing, in many cases, the kind of designs and creative concepts that got people talking more than the established players managed.
The likes of BYD’s supercar concept, Nio’s new electric saloon, Xpeng’s new saloon of its own - all of these were the real show stars.
It should be no surprise, really. Ten years ago we were sniggering at the laughable quality of the average Chinese car. A couple of years later, the copycats started. Soon after then, everything started to look like a 1980s Honda Civic. Yet, by the last Shanghai show in 2017, the designs had distinction of their own and it was the dynamics and build quality that needed to catch up. The former of those points is still true, but what progress in such a short period of time.
You couldn’t go looking for copycat cars as they simply weren’t there; Land Rover’s trademark infringement victory against Landwind was perhaps the final, definite line in the sand on that unwelcome distraction.
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It's simple: Chinese car
It's simple: Chinese car companies have cottoned-on to a global recruitment market and have, in the last several years, hired many of Europe's top angineers and designers Thye're desperate to get that global credibility and they're willing to pay for it, so it's only a matter of time before we start to see proper Chinese efforts challenging the establishement.
As for creativity: it's true that the Chinese education system doesn't encourage creativity and free-thinking (i'm not just spouting here, i have experience teaching them) so they do have a problem with that. But again, the amount of money and research they're throwing into creating their own car-design programmes, for example, means only a blinkered fool would not take them seriously..
Simple Chinese Car
Yes, they will get there one day. Already on a steep learning curve and giving long guarantees, which is about as serious as you can get.
Still, I for one cannot get past the other things China has become quite famous for, like land and sea grab, indoctrinations, forced organ removals and concentration camps on a scale that would have made even Hitler speechless. No way can I reward in profits a country that does even a fraction of those things. Nor should anyone else in a sane world.
50 centers on here too
Seems like there is not a publication in the world not monitored by the United Front, who appear to be duty bound to challenge the slightest negative comment anyone makes. I think we all have enough experience to know that lies or changing the subject in hand, are like water off a duck's back to most.
Defending your trolling?
Defending your trolling?
Carry on.
Quality
Chinese vehciles have been on the roads in the Middle East for a while now. Yet their light commercial vehicles do not have the reliability of established models. I have travelled in a couple of Chinese made cars and am not impressed. Whinning gearbox and wheel bearings, interior rattles and sloppy finishes (front seats with different styles of stiching for example). As with all their industrial products, the lesson here is "samples are always first class, production units are rubbish".
Just a matter of time...
Just a matter of time...
Oh dear - the iphone is
Oh dear - the iphone is Chinese, virtually every mobile phone in the market is Chinese manufacturered and/or designed, you know the ones piss taking "high end" Western companies like Apple charge up to several grand for ? I deal with Chinese products every day, theyre great and in my line of work theyre way ahead of any western company.