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Four brands, dozens of cars, and visibility even in the main exhibition hall: Chinese automakers decided to make their marks at the 2008 NAIAS. But are they a real threat? Admittedly, despite a growing presence, none of them has yet confirmed its plan to develop some kind of retail network in North America.
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| Geely FC |
The thing is, Chinese models showcased this year did not seem to get popular approval, nor do they meet the quality standards of every other vehicle sold here. And what about their design? Most of them look a lot like existing vehicles (the BYD F8, for instance, appears to be a Mercedes clone) and thus fail to impress.
Green China
The future for Chinese automakers will probably not include a direct competition with North American manufacturers. The more likely scenario is a battle on a different ground: environmentally-friendly technologies.
Taking advantage of the NAIAS, BYD Auto unveiled its latest work on alternative energies and "ferrous" battery systems for hybrid vehicles. Even Geely is currently working on three different models and three different technologies to minimize its environmental footprint.
The NAIAS in Detroit was devoid of products that are unique to Chinese manufacturers, but it will certainly help them to be taken seriously in the not-so-distant future.
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| Changfeng Libeao CS7 |
photo:Philippe Champoux, Alexandre Beaulne, Sébastien D'Amour
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