Western media widely reported (and still reports) that the Chinese government will only allow Chinese cars to be bought by its functionaries.
Not so. The rule exists in draft form only,and has been published to elicit public feedback.However, in a disturbing development, China Daily reports that “nearly 90 percent of respondents in a survey are in favor of China’s domestic independent-brand automobiles for governmental use.” It’s not that 90 percent said so. It’s the ominous fact that it is being published in a government-owned paper.
If the survey is correct, then Chinese citizens want to look down on the car choices of their rulers. The Chinese themselves are widely in favor of foreign cars. 70 percent of all cars bought in China are foreign branded. The appetite for foreign branded cars remains high,as the following tables show.
Here are tables of China’s best selling cars and SUVs as of February 2012, courtesy of the China Assosciation of Automobile Manufaturers CAAM.
As you can see, the top selling car list is populated nearly exclusively by joint venture cars. The only exception: The BYD F3. That is a blatant copy of the Corolla.
On the SUV list, the Haval is said to be inspired by the Toyota 4Runner and the Isuzu Axiom. Tde BYD S6 on the list can be converted into a Lexus RX 350 with a few pieces of chromed plastic.
| China Top 20 Passenger Cars, February 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Models | Makers | Deliveries |
| 1 | Buick Excelle | Shanghai-GM | 23,564 |
| 2 | VW Lavida | Shanghai-VW | 21,996 |
| 3 | Chevy Cruze | Shanghai-GM | 20,662 |
| 4 | VW Bora | FAW-VW | 18,377 |
| 5 | VW Jetta | FAW-VW | 18,365 |
| 6 | VW Passat | Shanghai-VW | 17,906 |
| 7 | Chevy Sail, 3-box | Shanghai-GM | 16,629 |
| 8 | FAW Xiali series | FAW | 16,566 |
| 9 | Elantra-Yuedong | Beijing-Hyundai | 15,315 |
| 10 | Nissan Tiida | Dongfeng-Nissan | 15,311 |
| 11 | Great Wall Voleex C30 | Great Wall Motor | 15,097 |
| 12 | Toyota Corolla | FAW-Toyota | 14,777 |
| 13 | Hyundai Verna | Beijing-Hyundai | 14,298 |
| 14 | BYD F3 | BYD | 13,492 |
| 15 | Nissan Sunny | Dongfeng-Nissan | 13,170 |
| 16 | Toyota Camry | GAC-Toyota | 13,072 |
| 17 | Skoda Octavia | Shanghai-VW | 13,052 |
| 18 | Toyota Corolla-Huaguan | FAW-Toyota | 12,375 |
| 19 | Chery QQ | Chery Auto | 11,234 |
| 20 | Nissan Sylphy | Dongfeng-Nissan | 10,406 |
| China Top 10 SUVs, February 2012 | |||
| Rank | Models | Makers | Deliveries |
| 1 | VW Tiguan | Shanghai-VW | 15,487 |
| 2 | Haval H series | Great Wall Motor | 14,417 |
| 3 | Toyota RAV4 | FAW-Toyota | 10,264 |
| 4 | BYD S6 | BYD | 9,834 |
| 5 | Nissan Qashqai | Dongfeng-Nissan | 9,399 |
| 6 | Honda CR-V | Dongfeng-Honda | 9,056 |
| 7 | Toyota Highlander | GAC-Toyota | 7,576 |
| 8 | Hyundai ix35 | Beijing-Hyundai | 7,024 |
| 9 | Audi Q5 | FAW-VW | 6,716 |
| 10 | Chery Tiggo | Chery Auto | 5,984 |
…and how does this differ from the U.S. and its Government?
Exactly, the Chinese are buying the joint venture cars, because they are the best currently available, but want to use government procurement to prop up the domestic industry. And yes, the Chinese do not want government employees’ cars to be as nice, or nicer, than theirs. Almost so obvious as to not be headline worthy.
When private Chinese citizens finally get their way, and the party members have to drive domestic, that will be headline worthy.
or any other country that also makes cars? (Germany, France, Sweden, Japan, etc….) In most countries it’s just good politics (keeping yourself popular with the unwashed masses) to be seen in a domestic car (if you are accountable to domestic voters — which the Chinese pols are not….!?)
Bertel, do these lists represent All deliveries, or only those to non-governmental entities?
Maybe the Chinese public want (by forcing their political leaders to drive/ride in domestic vehicles)to force improvements in the quality of the homegrown makes. Being forced to use low quality vehicles may give those in power the impetus to expedite much needed amalgamation and improved safety standards.
I don’t think this is much different than us expecting the President to ride in a Caddy or Lincoln only, or our fleets of police cars being ford/chevy even though nobody actually buys crown vics for personal use (and nobody buys impalas unless they’re getting them insanely cheap)