Now, take a breath, because here’s just some of the monikers that I spotted: Aito, Bestune, Dongfeng, Fangchengbao, Lynk & Co, Luxeed, Maple, Neo, Neta, Roewe, Xiaomi, Yangwang and Zeekr.
Bear in mind that this isn’t even a full list, and I’m sure you’ll quickly appreciate that the number of Chinese carmakers that aren’t in the UK is still mind-blowingly vast. In contrast to this gigantic bunch, one sight was quite the rarity in Shenzen: non-Chinese cars.
While I did spot a handful of BMWs, Land Rovers, Toyotas and Volkswagens lurking within the crowd, the ratio of domestically-produced cars to imported ones was incredibly one-sided. Bear in mind that several Chinese brands are still in their relative infancy, and it’s all too clear that ferociously competitive pricing and improving quality are attracting countless drivers away from the long-serving foreign firms.
Although there are some fundamental differences between the demands of European and Chinese customers, I simply cannot help but wonder whether our own market is destined to a similar fate.
Badge loyalty and all that jazz quickly fizzles out when one car is thousands of pounds cheaper than its closest rival. Sure, if there’s a big dip in quality you might be willing to fork out the extra cash, but this gap is quickly closing. BYD has recently committed a huge amount of money and resources into designing cars specifically for the European market, and plenty of other names are also seriously upping their game when it comes to winning over non-Chinese buyers.
Several of the established brands have finally begun responding to this existential threat by promising more affordable cars. That’s great news for the average car buyer, but one question remains: why has it taken so many so long to realise that money talks? The clock is ticking faster and faster, and achieving price parity with an endless stream of new entries – which often boast class-leading levels of tech and efficiency – is an incredibly difficult task. However, it’s now literally a matter of life and death for numerous firms that were once household names.
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