Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd, China's ninth-largest automaker with a 2.6 percent market share, has decided to pull out of the highly competitive European market. It must be said that they are one of the very few Chinese automakers to have ever managed to sell any of their cars on the Old Continent. As it stands, they have no concrete plans for take II.
A little history. In 2006, they worked out a deal with Hans-Ulrich Sachs, the former boss of the former import company called HSO Motors Europe. Between 2007 and 2009, Brilliance only managed to deliver 502 units according to JATO Dynamics, a UK-based market researcher.
The models that were available for purchase were the BS4 and BS6. Both sedans had some positive points however the crash tests videos of both cars made their way around the World, thanks in large part to YouTube. As you can see for yourself, the results are not exactly stellar. The BS6 specifically does not fare well in one of them.
Another reason for the demise of the Brilliance effort on the European market is the fact that the maker would not lower their prices, refusing to lose a single penny on each unit. In order to break into a market, according to Sachs, the entry fee is some loss for, hopefully, some serious gain. Brilliance's response was that Sachs should take the hit.
We now know the rest of the story. Question is: Will this delay Brilliance's intentions of invading the North American market? We're not known for being much more forgiving than the Europeans... Time will tell.
A little history. In 2006, they worked out a deal with Hans-Ulrich Sachs, the former boss of the former import company called HSO Motors Europe. Between 2007 and 2009, Brilliance only managed to deliver 502 units according to JATO Dynamics, a UK-based market researcher.
The models that were available for purchase were the BS4 and BS6. Both sedans had some positive points however the crash tests videos of both cars made their way around the World, thanks in large part to YouTube. As you can see for yourself, the results are not exactly stellar. The BS6 specifically does not fare well in one of them.
Another reason for the demise of the Brilliance effort on the European market is the fact that the maker would not lower their prices, refusing to lose a single penny on each unit. In order to break into a market, according to Sachs, the entry fee is some loss for, hopefully, some serious gain. Brilliance's response was that Sachs should take the hit.
We now know the rest of the story. Question is: Will this delay Brilliance's intentions of invading the North American market? We're not known for being much more forgiving than the Europeans... Time will tell.