Asian Invasion

China's biggest independent carmaker Geely heads back to SA, full of promises

If you had R150000 to spend on a vehicle, would it be a new Chinese car or a used German or Japanese sedan?

Many South Africans are still wary of the Chinese brands. But in China it is a different story, the Chinese buy their own cheapies en masse.

The honchos at Geely, China's biggest independent vehicle manufacturer, were daring in their affirmation recently that the company would produce the highest-quality cars in the next five years - and sell more.

This year's Shanghai Motor Show revealed the Chinese will not stop trying until they get it right.

But so far, the Koreans can still relax. Geely had on display many products which looked like cheap copies of German cars.

South Africa does not seem to be a big target for Geely's plans when compared to eastern Europe. What caught my attention at the show were the few products planned for our market - the Geely LC (known as Panda in China), LC Crossover and the EC7. The LC will be launched in South Africa next Friday. Geely has recently acquired Swedish giant Volvo from Ford and, according to Geely, the Swedish technology would be used in its products in future. The news, however, was a bit vague as Geely officials would not say which technology or when the rollover would start. But that's how it's done in China - reveal little and keep everyone guessing.

This approach does not work in South Africa where the brand conscious South African market wants to know what it is buying - and if it is safe to do so.

At the Geely stand at the Shanghai show, the little LC looked like any other entry level car, but a closer look revealed the Chinese still have a long way to go in the quality department. I must admit, I think the LC is a terrible vehicle but a few good materials (both externally and interior) could do it a world of good.

The one thing the Chinese brand has managed to do is copy and copy ... the LC looks like a Daewoo Matiz.

The interesting part is the pricing of the LCs, which starts at just under R80000. But why spend R80000 on a Chinese brand with hardly any after sales support?

There were many interesting products on the Geely stand, such as the GT and GT convertible. The Chinese firm is confident its products will compete with the more established brands. But will South Africans ever fully accept Chinese brands? Will the Volvo deal boost Geely's credibility on international showroom floors?

The importers of Geely cars are not saying much about how they plan to tackle the after sales issue.

Peter Azzie, one of the big wheels in the Geely project, said the after sales issue was an important one - without elaborating. The Hallmark Motor Group and Magic Group are the new importers - and given its pricing, the LC may find itself many first-time buyers. The EC7 will follow some time next year, joining the LC and LC Cross.

Geely is no newcomer to SA It made a quick appearance but was sent packing during the recent recession.