Found this interesting, 49% yes, 49% no overall but a wide difference when age factored in. You young'ens are more open to trying something like a Chinese car (poll info is at the end of the article
).
from:
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/01/09/chinese-cars.htmlChinese car companies aiming to steer into foreign marketsLast Updated: Tuesday, January 9, 2007 | 9:05 AM ET
The Associated Press
Making its debut at the Detroit auto show, Changfeng Motor Co. Ltd. is just one of many Chinese automakers aiming to bring its cars to countries overseas and secure an entry in the competitive global market.
"Through the collaboration with local dealers, we will jointly promote Changfeng's products in the North American and global market," Li Jianxin, chairman of parent Changfeng Group Co. Ltd., said during a news conference Monday.
Roadblocks remain, such as the cost of getting Chinese-built cars to the United States and consumer worries about their quality, but some observers expect the vehicles will be competing for drivers before the end of the decade.
"One of these days, you're going to see Chinese cars all over the place," said American entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin, who brought the Yugo and Subaru to the United States and wants to export luxury vehicles from China to the U.S. as soon as 2009.
While the U.S. market likely will be important for Chinese carmakers, surviving in their home market may be a shorter-term focus. Foreign automakers are competing aggressively in China, where sales are expanding at double-digit annual rates and major U.S., European and Asian producers have set up factories.
Vehicle sales in China to jump in 2007The industry estimates that vehicle sales in China this year are expected to rise by 15 per cent to eight million, up from an estimated seven million in 2006, compared with predictions the U.S. sales will be flat to lower after dropping to about 16.5 million in 2006 from just under 17 million in 2005.
Chinese manufacturers face tough logistical issues in bringing vehicles to the U.S., such as establishing dealer and service networks, as well as the cost of bringing them in from afar, said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst at Global Insight, an economic research and consulting company. The overall cost of importing, she noted, is part of why Japanese and South Korean automakers built plants in the U.S.
Some of those obstacles could be avoided through partnerships with companies that already have a significant share of the U.S. market. And because of that, the first Chinese-made cars for the U.S. might not be sold under Chinese nameplates.
U.S., Chinese automakers form partnershipsLast month, DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group and China's Chery Automobile Co. announced that they agreed on a plan for the Chinese manufacturer to build small cars to be sold worldwide. They will be sold at Chrysler dealerships including those in the U.S. under the Dodge, Chrysler or Jeep names.
General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. already have significant manufacturing deals with Chinese companies, but they aren't sold in the U.S. GM chief executive Rick Wagoner said it is possible that GM would build a small car in China and import it to the U.S, but the company has no plans to do that at present.
Public perception of Chinese vehicles — and their quality — will be key in how well they are received. People were evenly divided on whether they would consider buying a car from a Chinese manufacturer — 49 per cent said yes and 49 per cent said no in an AP-AOL Autos poll conducted last month.
Young people are more open to the idea of buying a Chinese car than are older people — 70 per cent of those under 35 would consider buying a Chinese car, compared with just 39 per cent of those 35 and older.
Poll
