Are Chinese Manufactured Cars Sold in the UK?

They are apparently coming to the United States during the fall of 2019. A major bone of contention is that China currently charges a 25% tariff on U.S. manufactured cars while the tariff for Chinese-manufactured automobiles imported into the United States stands at 2.5%, a major discrepancy from global economic and commerce standpoints.

The jury is still out as to whether Americans will embrace and buy Chinese-made cars and if these automobiles offer any promise in terms of their overall build quality, reliability and customer service.

Unless these cars are priced dirt cheap, chances are they won't be overly popular amongst working class Americans whose jobs and products have been displaced by overseas manufacturing.

Curious if any Chinese manufactured cars have made it into the UK.

The "MG" is available in the UK.

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As controversial as diesel powered Maseratis.

Is Volvo not manufactured in China these days?

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Originally Posted by Arcam

The "MG" is available in the UK.

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It's unfortunate that such a classic make as MG is now a part of Shanghai Automotive. To some, the brand has probably lost much of its allure. MGTDs, MGAs and MGBs were very popular in the United States at one time.

The new MG6 has received somewhat poor reviews if 2 stars out of 5 is any indication. While it retains the MG logo, the car looks like just another vehicle designed to compete with a Ford Focus.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review.../mg6-2011-2014

MG, we’ve had others over the years too; I think the Rover City Car? But am happy to stand corrected. It’s a tough one as they are progressing, but that said I once bought a Chinese made motorbike and it was so badly made it was dangerous. The swing arm was not properly bolted on resulting in the bike crabbing down the road until I re-assembled it and the tyres were about as grippy as Teflon on ice. A hideous thing.


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I believe 'city car' was made in India.


I Pads, iPhones (which aren't dirt cheap) just about everything is knocked up in China, its a 'global' economy.

Some poor unfortunate near me has bought an MG6 and I have to pass it every day on the way to work.

I actually marvel at how a team of designers managed to make a car look so utterly dull. And then I remember the badge was also fixed to the Austin Maestro and Montego so the marque does have form.

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Originally Posted by Onelasttime

Some poor unfortunate near me has bought an MG6 and I have to pass it every day on the way to work.

I actually marvel at how a team of designers managed to make a car look so utterly dull. And then I remember the badge was also fixed to the Austin Maestro and Montego so the marque does have form.

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Continuing a long and proud tradition of making crap cars...

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Originally Posted by notnowkato

Continuing a long and proud tradition of making crap cars...

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Indeed, the last half decent MG's were the MGB and MGBGT, all sh*te after that.

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Originally Posted by Mr_Mac

Is Volvo not manufactured in China these days?

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No. Chinese owned but built in Scandinavia.

'Great Wall' SUVs.

There's a concession in Great Glenn, south of Leicester.

Plainly, a geographical affinity.

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Originally Posted by Mr_Mac

Is Volvo not manufactured in China these days?

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Originally Posted by reggie747

No. Chinese owned but built in Scandinavia

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Originally Posted by number2

I believe 'city car' was made in India. I Pads, iPhones (which aren't dirt cheap) just about everything is knocked up in China, its a 'global' economy.

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British Leyland>India; Volvo/MG et al>China.

What's next? In a nightmarish scenario, do these conglomerates in China and India possess the capital resources to take over traditional companies like Porsche, Daimler-Benz along with other high-end consumer brands? Fortunately Rolex SA is in trust so the prospects of it ever becoming something like Rolex of China remains far-fetched. Besides, China already has a lucrative industry in the watch replica field.

For some reason or another, it seems that whenever a Chinese or East Indian company takes over an established American or European manufacturer of above-average to outstanding products, the overall quality and reliability of the their later products somehow goes down. Perhaps it has something to do with the metrics of profitability over long-term customer satisfaction.

Jaguar LR, Indian owned.

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Originally Posted by Bannon

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What's next? In a nightmarish scenario, do these conglomerates in China and India possess the capital resources to take over traditional companies like Porsche, Daimler-Benz along with other high-end consumer brands?

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Only in the last couple of weeks China’s Geely became the largest shareholder in Daimler.





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It doesn’t seem that long ago that MG were basically rebadged Rovers.

On the other hand my friends dad owned a Midget, beautiful car.

Dave

The new MG supermini, the MG3, has had better than half decent reviews.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review...or/mg3/verdict

In contrast, the follow-ups, two SUVs, the MG GS and MG ZS have been rather damned with faint praise.

They are slowly growing a presence on the roads, however. Feels rather like the early days of Japanese and Korean cars to me. Their early imports hardly set the Thames on fire either. Now look at them.

It’s a brave man who bets against China.

When we go on holiday to the US, I always ask for a Real American Car at the desk of the car rental. Last Christmas, I was given free choice: "It's Christmas, pick what you want!". We ended up with a Buick. Not-so-American as I found out... later that week. The car is built in China and imported into the US...

So much for my "I am in America and I drive an American car!"

Menno

There are very few decent, home built American cars, they are pretty naff in my experience. It will not take much to take the market by storm.

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Originally Posted by The mid seventies

There are very few decent, home built American cars, they are pretty naff in my experience. It will not take much to take the market by storm.

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Haven’t the Europeans and Japanese been doing that since the early eighties? And more recently the Koreans.

The American car manufacturers have been in decline for decades but have improved such that most of their products are reasonable these days.

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Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK

There are very few decent, home built American cars, they are pretty naff in my experience. It will not take much to take the market by storm.

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True! And it's best to experience that over there! Having said that: The Buick was dull as dishwater but was loaded to the brim with gadgets and nifty stuff that actually worked!

30 or so years ago, we all wondered why the Koreans came to Europe with their weirdly looking and weirdly driving cars: E.g. the Hyundai Pony... And still there the Ssang Yong Rexton and Radius: ugly! But they've taken over a large part of the market; the Chinese will do the same within a few years.

I suspect the working class Americans you refer to will make their buying choices based on the same criterion most people do; Bang for buck in their range of affordability.

If that means Chinese cars that review well and offer seven year warranties then expect to see plenty on your roads.

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Originally Posted by TaketheCannoli

I suspect the working class Americans you refer to will make their buying choices based on the same criterion most people do; Bang for buck in their range of affordability.

If that means Chinese cars that review well and offer seven year warranties then expect to see plenty on your roads.

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^^^ this ^^^

What puzzles me is this: Honda is very small here in Holland despite the fact that they give a 10 yr warranty and a 2 yrs free insurance since mid-2017. Sales aren't really 'up' since then!

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Originally Posted by thieuster

^^^ this ^^^

What puzzles me is this: Honda is very small here in Holland despite the fact that they give a 10 yr warranty and a 2 yrs free insurance since mid-2017. Sales aren't really 'up' since then!

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Other than bicycles, what is (are) the main brand(s)?.

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Originally Posted by thieuster

^^^ this ^^^

What puzzles me is this: Honda is very small here in Holland despite the fact that they give a 10 yr warranty and a 2 yrs free insurance since mid-2017. Sales aren't really 'up' since then!

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Just be glad you don’t have to suffer the Jazz!!

Based on my observations they have a top speed of about 25mph and are so unstable that they can’t take corners at anything above a snail’s pace.

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Originally Posted by Mr_Mac

Is Volvo not manufactured in China these days?

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Originally Posted by reggie747

No. Chinese owned but built in Scandinavia.

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I don’t think that’s correct, certainly multiple markets are getting Chinese built volvos and I assume this includes the UK
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201.../#more-1601742

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Originally Posted by TaketheCannoli

I suspect the working class Americans you refer to will make their buying choices based on the same criterion most people do; Bang for buck in their range of affordability.

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I always thought there were sufficient redneck idiots in Trump hats who would buy a rusty turd if you stuck an American flag in it.

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Originally Posted by jmitch

I always thought there were sufficient redneck idiots in Trump hats who would buy a rusty turd if you stuck an American flag in it.

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There will always be those people, my comment was aimed at the right-thinking folk.

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Originally Posted by jmitch

I always thought there were sufficient redneck idiots in Trump hats who would buy a rusty turd if you stuck an American flag in it.

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Many makes of car built in the US nowadays.

Stuff like BMW, Merc, Toyota, Nissan, Honda etc etc.

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Originally Posted by Mr_Mac

Is Volvo not manufactured in China these days?

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Originally Posted by reggie747

No. Chinese owned but built in Scandinavia.

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Originally Posted by JGJG

I don’t think that’s correct, certainly multiple markets are getting Chinese built volvos and I assume this includes the UK
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201.../#more-1601742

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My last Volvo's came from Belgium and I think most of the UK's still do, but the S90 production will soon be switching entirely to China.
Strange that it's to top of the range model that will be Chinese, I would have thought they would start with a budget model.
Maybe they feel China is a better place to be to produce hybrids and all electric cars.

Iirc, there were once volume limits or a per vehicle tarrif on Japanese cars so it made better sense to make the smaller low priced cars in the UK for our market, and import the premium high-margin models. I have no idea if this is still the case.

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Originally Posted by Neil.C

Many makes of car built in the US nowadays.

Stuff like BMW, Merc, Toyota, Nissan, Honda etc etc.

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Including some fine-looking cars like the Toyota Highlander and the Nissan Armada. Wouldn't mind owning one of these two!

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Originally Posted by thieuster

Including some fine-looking cars like the Toyota Highlander and the Nissan Armada. Wouldn't mind owning one of these two!

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indeed - my experience of the general US built stuff is they are just dire, so they have a lot to gain.

At the last count I think they have sold about 3 MGs here.

I understand no foreigner is allowed a majority shareholding in a Chinese based company?
They’re not daft are they? I gather the Volvo tie up was so that they can sell reverse engineered trucks without Volvo getting all bent out of shape

Never underestimate the Chinese!

In 2018 to the end of February, MG sold 661 vehicles. More than three times what Subaru managed in the same period and better results than Jeep, DS (posh Citroen), Alfa Romeo, Infiniti and Abarth.

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Originally Posted by jmitch

My last Volvo's came from Belgium and I think most of the UK's still do, but the S90 production will soon be switching entirely to China.
Strange that it's to top of the range model that will be Chinese, I would have thought they would start with a budget model.
Maybe they feel China is a better place to be to produce hybrids and all electric cars.

Iirc, there were once volume limits or a per vehicle tarrif on Japanese cars so it made better sense to make the smaller low priced cars in the UK for our market, and import the premium high-margin models. I have no idea if this is still the case.

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S90 production Lready switched. I had one in order for delivery June / July last year but delivery date was pushed out to Oct / Nov as I’d missed the last orders for European manufactured ones so was due to get one of first from new Chinese factory.

For reasons unrelated I never took delivery of the car.

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Originally Posted by UKMike

Never underestimate the Chinese!

In 2018 to the end of February, MG sold 661 vehicles. More than three times what Subaru managed in the same period and better results than Jeep, DS (posh Citroen), Alfa Romeo, Infiniti and Abarth.

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Yeah, but they're still $h1te though aren't they...

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Originally Posted by JGJG

I don’t think that’s correct, certainly multiple markets are getting Chinese built volvos and I assume this includes the UK
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201.../#more-1601742

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Originally Posted by triumph coupe

S90 production Lready switched. I had one in order for delivery June / July last year but delivery date was pushed out to Oct / Nov as I’d missed the last orders for European manufactured ones so was due to get one of first from new Chinese factory.

For reasons unrelated I never took delivery of the car.

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My folks have an S90 sat at the port awaiting delivery to the dealership as I type. They were told by the salesman it was built in China, I’ll be able to report back on reliability/issues in due course.

https://www.media.volvocars.com/glob...ing-rail-link4

The brief period of time driving the Buick hasn't put me off from driving a Chinese-made car in general. It's about the quality control. After all: iPhones are built in China as well. That doesn't put me off getting one!

M

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Originally Posted by JoePattinson

Only in the last couple of weeks China’s Geely became the largest shareholder in Daimler.

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Originally Posted by UKMike

Never underestimate the Chinese!

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Originally Posted by GOAT

I understand no foreigner is allowed a majority shareholding in a Chinese based company? They’re not daft are they?

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So the question remains…can this overseas business model be curtailed to some extent? If it's based purely on China's vast accessibility to capital resources rather than any commitment on their part to tradition, styling and venerable build quality, future consumers of these once heralded UK-German-Swedish brands are totally screwed. On the other hand, prospective buyers still have the option of exploring and considering other makes prior to the next scheduled Chinese takeover.

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Originally Posted by reggie747

Yeah, but they're still $h1te though aren't they...

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Yes

A deprecation black hole.

I dearly hope that any Chinese-made car would be better than Chinese-made motorbikes, the quality of those that I've seen is terrible. :-(

R

Chinese manufacturer, UK assembly and finish.

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Originally Posted by Arcam

The "MG" is available in the UK.

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[QUOTE=Evanssprky;4698057]Chinese manufacturer, UK assembly and finish.[/QUOTE

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Originally Posted by Evanssprky

Chinese manufacturer, UK assembly and finish.

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Not anymore. The Chinese have now abandoned the original Rover plant at Longbridge:

https://youtu.be/MPrkQQEFCck

The cars are now just manufactured in China and shipped to the U.K.

Probably cheaper for them unfortunately.