Chinese brands shake up Car of the Year

The finalists for the prestigious Car of the Year awards have been announced, with Chinese vehicles accounting for seven out of the 18 contenders.

Car enthusiasts would have been hard-pressed not to notice the influx of Chinese cars into the South African automotive market in recent years.

Jetour, BAIC, Chery, BYD, GAC and Jaecoo are just a few of the manufacturers making significant inroads here.

Their strong presence as finalists reflects growing competition in a segment which has traditionally dominated by European, Japanese and Korean brands.

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World Wide Worx CEO Arthur Goldstuck explains why Chinese cars are proving so popular.

"They're all bringing hi-tech cars into the country at low cost."

Brands like BYD, Chery, GWM, Jetour, Omoda and Leap have all made their way into the top 10 of the Car of the Year competition.

"This time around, it's not a guarantee that one of the Western brands is going to take that trophy when they announce it in May; it's likely it will be a Chinese brand."

Goldstuck says it will be a shock to the industry, but not to the market.

"Customers are buying these cars hand over fist. The latest NAAMSA figures have just been released for January, and at 6 and 7, you've got GWM and Chery sitting there."

NAAMSA publishes monthly vehicle sales statistics for South Africa.

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But while it may be good news for Chinese carmakers in respect of Car of the Year, there could be some bad news on the way for the likes of Omoda, Jetour, GWM, et al.

The government is considering tariffs of up to 50% on vehicles imported from China and India, in a move aimed at protecting local manufacturing.

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition is looking at measures to control inbound vehicle shipments, seen to be undercutting local producers.

To listen to Goldstuck, use the audio player below: