Last year saw a dramatic increase in the sales of Chinese vehicles in South Africa, with brands like Chery breaking sales records less than 12 months after entering the market.
There are currently four Chinese car brands operating in South Africa, consisting of BAIC, Chery, GWM and its subsidiary Haval, and JAC.
BAIC, Chery, and Haval are all focused on the crossover and SUV market with models like the Beijing X55, Tiggo Pro range, and Jolion and H6 respectively, while GWM and JAC are catering to the bakkie crowd with selections like the P-Series and T6.
Many of these cars have seen considerable success in the local buying scene, such as GWM’s 4x4s which have managed to outperform their competitors like the well-known Mitsubishi Triton and Mazda BT-50 despite being on sale for a much shorter space of time.
Likewise, Haval and Chery’s models are now consistent entries in each month’s top 10 best-selling crossover and SUV lists – an impressive feat given how young the brands are in South Africa compared to staples like Toyota and VW.
Chery in particular only re-entered the local car scene in late 2021, yet it has already gone on to become one of the country’s top 10 passenger car brands with over 10,000 units sold as of November 2022.
Up-and-coming brands
The single greatest advantage Chinese brands have going for them is their affordability, as only one Chinese car in South Africa has a starting price of over R500,000.
The car in question is the Haval H6 GT, a sporty coupe variant of the standard SUV that starts at R629,950.
For comparison, this puts it in the same price bracket as something like the entry-level Toyota Rav4, which starts at R645,600.
But an affordable price doesn’t mean much if the cars can’t compete with their more-established peers, and it’s in this regard that many Chinese cars really stand out amongst the competition.
The BAIC Beijing X55 and Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, for example, come with an impressive number of features, especially since these cars are competing in the entry-level to mid-range crossover market alongside better-known models like the Ford EcoSport, Suzuki Jimny, Hyundai Venue, Toyota Corolla Cross, and VW T-Cross.
This includes equipment like:
- Keyless start and entry
- Adaptive cruise control
- Refrigerated storage areas
- 360-degree panoramic camera
- Electronically adjustable seats
They also have very modern interiors with artificial leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, and large digital driver and infotainment screens – most of which aren’t available in their competitors unless you’re willing to spend a pretty penny.
The affordability and value-for-money of Chinese autos come at a time when western carmakers, particularly those in Europe, are designing vehicles to meet stricter new emission regulations which heavily impact selling prices.
An estimation from VW predicts that the price of small combustion engine cars could increase by up to 5,000 euros – roughly R100,000 – if they are redesigned to adhere to these regulations, at which point it would no longer make fiscal sense to produce them as most buyers would no longer be able to afford them.
It’s an alarming projection given just how expensive cars already are, especially in South Africa where even the cheapest new car requires a payment of at least R162,900.
If current market trends continue for the foreseeable future, it’s likely that more and more South Africans will gravitate towards Chinese brands in search of a well-equipped and affordable car.
Loading ...
