Chinese companies have started exporting cars to countries outside China. They want to take control of the west markets tempting low prices of their products. Before they can be sold in European markets, that need to pass rigorous crash tests. In one of the crash tests of a Chinese car, a Chery Amulet car front end folded like a concertina.
Different situation is in east countries. Russia is China's biggest auto-export market, and the Chery Amulet for $9,000 is the top Chinese cars, which are sold in Russia. There was sold over 10000 cars in the first half of 2007. A safety testing centre passed the Amulet in the rudimentary tests required for cars sold in Russia , where price typically outweighs safety for budget-minded consumers.
In tests of the another Chery model, the QQ, which is very similar car to Deawoo Matiz, the car crashed worse then Amulet, because softer metal used in the door-lock mechanism gave way and the door popped open. Passengers inside the car don't have any chanced to survive, in case of accident. Car which is very good copy of Matiz (Chinese cars have a design very similar to European and Japan models to increase their popularity), in crash tests has a huge gap to the Deawoo model.
Here is Daewoo Matiz after front crash tests:
And here is Chery QQ:
The other side of the problem is a quality of the materials, from which Chinese cars are made. Obviously it has direct impact to the safety, but even if we skip safety issues, there is still problem with unreliability. Because of the fact that materials are really bad quality, cars can't endure more then 2 years. If we take into account that for example brake pads are made from pressed cardboard, there is no chance that they will ensure reliability for years.
Just to know, I publish the most unsafely car ever. It was a Australian car called Holden Commodore:
Questions:
1. What to you think about safety of Chinese cars?
2. Do you think Chinese models should entry to European market?
3. Will you ever buy a Chinese model?
Well, generally, the longer you do something, the better you get at it. It was just a matter of time before Chinese quality improved, but that was a matter of building a base of manufacturing and engineering knowledge.
ReplyDeleteAnd from the other hand this is a combination of cost cutting and a rapid rise in production. Quality is going down because Chinese manufacturers are using sub-standard parts to meet the market demand and lower cost.
I don't see any serious difference between Daewoo Matiz and Chery QQ crash test.
We buy strawberries from China, so maybe it's time for cars made in China.
ReplyDeleteIt is not a matter of "Chinese" cars, its a matter of "cheap" cars. You cannot have something that is cheap and good and safe. I've seen a lot of crash tests of such cars and I am sure that it is not reasonable to save money on security.
ReplyDeleteUsually I am not a person who looks at NCAP tests and similar, but for sure these ones look quite convincing.
1. What to you think about safety of Chinese cars?
ReplyDeleteSafety not included ;) Main purpose of this cars is to bring cheap vehicle for transportation to people who couldn't afford 'normal' car.
2. Do you think Chinese models should entry to European market?
Those are already on European market - http://ipezone.blogspot.com/2007/09/chinese-cars-invade-europe.html
3. Will you ever buy a Chinese model?
In city I prefer to move by bicycle or taxi, on longer trips I wouldn't want to drive something that could broke apart.
I think nothing, because there’s nothing to think about. :D To me they shouldn’t be sold anywhere in the world, even in China. Or maybe I would understand it if Chinese wanted to settle the natural accretion this way. I would never ever buy Chinese car, besides I wouldn’t even call it a car.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that now safety is not included but sometime they will solve this 'issues' and then western and Japanese car producers might have some trouble :)
ReplyDeleteI do not trust the Chinese car because their security is terrible. The price is low at the expense of quality which is so valued. I do not trust them. Certainly once Chinese cars will flood Europe and people will ride them, but certainly not me. Never buy a Chinese car. I am afraid that the quality of Volvo and the buyout of Sabba fall by the Chinese.
ReplyDelete