European Car Fans Start Switching to Chinese Brands

KatadataOTO – For a long time, European car brands like BMW have been the choice for those who want to experience luxury. However, manufacturers from China are slowly becoming a new option in the premium segment in several countries.

One of these is Mexico, where Mercedes-Benz and BMW are starting to have their positions replaced by Chinese brands. Affordable prices combined with their technology and comfort have successfully encouraged people to buy.

Based on data from the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors (AMDA), luxury car sales from January to November 2024 fell by 8.1 percent. Of that total, Audi and Mercedes-Benz were the two hardest-hit brands.

Demand for Audi dropped by 21.9 percent and for Mercedes-Benz by 9.8 percent from the same period the previous year. Meanwhile, the BMW market is considered stagnant in the country.

Photo : Carscoops

This is slightly different for Chinese manufacturers, as they are considered quite aggressive in developing the Mexican market. Motornation, which includes several brands such as BAIC, JMC, and Changan, experienced an 8.8 percent increase in sales during the same period.

Then Jetour, which is relatively new to the competition, skyrocketed thanks to a 131 percent increase. Chinese brands now control at least 9.3 percent of the car market in Mexico.

Reporting from Carscoops, manufacturers from China have taken advantage of various government incentives. Thanks to this, vehicles can be sold at competitive and attractive prices for customers.

That situation is actually not much different from in Indonesia. Sales of Chinese cars are now growing, supported by the many new brands and models with affordable prices.

Incentives provided by the government are considered effective in helping Chinese brands survive amidst tight competition.

Photo : Jetour

BYD, for example, has only been in Indonesia for a few months, but its retail sales have already reached 11,654 units from January to November 2024. This figure places them in the 11th position of best-selling brands in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Wuling remains the most popular Chinese manufacturer with sales figures of 22,288 units. This achievement is expected to be even better in 2025 as a number of brands from the Land of the Bamboo Curtain are set to enter the country.