Not that long ago Chinese cars were the subject of laughter and derision. For good reason. They were quite terrible: brazen stylistic facsimiles of European, Japanese and American contenders, with substandard build quality and no brand equity to speak of.
Some might remember stinkers like the Chery QQ3, which scored a clean zero when it was crash tested by Global NCAP. Other motoring jokes from the Far East included the Hafei Lobo, with its oddball, triangular design, as well as the Emgrand EC7, ripping off the aesthetics of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. There were many others worthy of dishonourable mention.
In 2025 we are looking on at the latest crop of Chinese products with curiosity, possibly admiration, instead of scorn. The names are still peculiar but the designs have improved, so too has perceived quality, while aggressive pricing and generous standard specification have seen many buyers relook their allegiances to traditional, legacy marques.
The shift has happened in a fairly short period of time. Being a motor-noter with a finger on the pulse, the turning point from my perspective was marked when the Haval division of Great Wall Motors (GWM) unveiled the Jolion.
The year was 2021, Mzansi was making sense of a post-lockdown world and the Asian marque saw opportunity, pandering to buyers who were resizing their expenses, without wanting to sacrifice the niceties they might have paid extra for in German offerings.
The Jolion (an anglicised version of Chūliàn — means “first love” in Mandarin) was easy on the eye, outfitted with soft-touch cabin surfaces, a digitised fascia and a turbocharged engine. Those hallmarks — in a nutshell — were the blueprint of models to emerge, from GWM and fellow Chinese firms.
Chery followed suit with an entirely new range of Tiggo crossovers and sport-utility vehicles. Then further brands from these respective mother companies entered the arena. From Chery, we saw Jetour, Jaecoo and Omoda, all serving variations of a similar recipe. They appear to deliver what the average consumer wants, with heavy emphasis on striking aesthetics, that are quite derivative of certain familiar favourites. But the execution is more convincing than those early copycat days.
The Jaecoo J7, for instance, does a fair imitation of the Range Rover Evoque. GWM released Ora (electric vehicles); Tank (off-roaders) and P-Series (bakkies) to bolster the ambitions of Haval. The GWM umbrella has the distinction of being the oldest Chinese motoring player in South Africa, having done business here for 18 years, uninterrupted.
Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) came to town last year with a snazzy crossover dubbed the Emzoom. MG nailed its colours to the mast, with dazzling creations like the Cyberster, an all-electric drop-top.
“Wait a second, MG is British?” you might be thinking to yourself. Not anymore, friend. The English moniker has been under the ownership of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) since 2006. Of the Chinese importers selling cars locally, Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC) is the only player with a manufacturing facility on South African soil. Its plant in Gqeberha has been active since 2018, but there seem to be more questions than answers around its actual output volume.
The rumour mill has been circulating with talk of other Chinese brands setting up local production operations. These could centre around repurposing existing facilities owned by legacy brands that are winding down, such as Nissan, whose outfit in Rosslyn faces uncertainty as part of global restructuring efforts.
On the electric vehicle (EV) front, some Chinese firms have been pushing the agenda without reservation, notably Build Your Dreams (BYD). The company covers the plug-in spectrum, from the Dolphin Surf, which is the cheapest EV in the country, to the beefy Shark bakkie, aimed at giving high-end double-cabs like the Ford Ranger Raptor a scare.
The Dolphin Surf is a fascinating and relevant piece of kit, since it comes in at an attainable R339,900 and boasts a range of 232km. It is a cheerful looker, with a decent cabin, excellent five-star EuroNCAP safety rating and novel karaoke function to delight the young and young at heart. Its biggest issue is a top speed of 130km/h — knowing how SA motorists treat freeway driving, overtaking is not a strong suit of the dainty BYD.
And there are more automakers to come. Later this month Geely will make a return to the market, taking on a more upmarket position than previously. Worth remembering that this is the same company that owns brands like Volvo. Changan is also setting up shop in October.
Of course, there remains room for growth in the story of Chinese cars. Where legacy automakers maintain the upper-hand, is in the area of proven longevity, durability and resale value. Long-standing brands with local manufacturing operations boast decades’ worth of SA-specific research and development, in addition to well-established parts inventories. These familiar marques also rouse a sense of patriotism, creating direct employment on production lines, supporting local businesses across the supply chain.
Never before in the history of the local market has the average South African car-buyer had such a variety of options. Shoppers face the conundrum of keeping it traditional with familiar favourites or breaking from the herd with an exciting, if yet-to-be fully proven Chinese car.
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