Improved Automotive, technology and standards - China!
In a study done by J.D. Power’s Chinese division, recent months have shown that the Chinese have improved both the technology behind their cars as well as the engineering. Improvements have been made to raise their domestically produced automobiles to international standards primarily in the internal systems of the cars; the engine, transmission, ventilation and the heating and cooling. The study looked at 213 car models sold by 65 different car brands while surveying around 21,000 new car owners about their experience with those new cars. This year four Chinese automobile brands scored above the automobile industry average, according to Mei Songlin (VP of J.D. Power’s China branch), have slowly begun to revolutionize the domestic Chinese automobile market. New car brands in China and its automobiles will enter into the Chinese market this year; despite its relative anonymity one of its brand sedans received five stars from the European New Car Assessment program proving that the Chinese are innovative and improving the quality of their cars with every passing season. Foreign automobile companies still have the history and experience, however; according to the study only 27% of domestic Chinese sedan sales were to local Chinese automobile manufacturers. Few Chinese cars sell outside of the country of China and no Chinese automobile company is yet authorized to export and sell cars within the United States. The most popular cars sold in China with the highest customer approval rating are the Toyota’s Lexus and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz in terms of quality, followed by cars from Subaru, Volkswagen AG and BMW AG. The study recommended that the Chinese automobile companies improve not only the car systems (ventilation, heat and air conditioning, engine and transmission) but the fuel efficiency and noise produced by the car. Emissions have become a very big deal in China as of late at the air quality has continued to deteriorate and drastically affect the health of China’s citizens. Fuel efficiency as well plays a role; people all over the world want cars that run longer on less gas as gas prices have also skyrocketed. China’s big cities also produce a lot of noise with the thousands (if not millions) of cars and people constantly on the move.