Sorry, We’ll be a Bit Late to the Party: Chinese Automakers Push Back North American Dates
Thursday, October 26th, 2006
After Geely’s debut at the Detroit Auto Show last year and Nanjing Automobile’s purchase of the MG name and equipment, China seemed poised to make a leap into the already crowded Western automotive market. Initial trials have sent them back to the drawing board for further revisions however, and most manufacturers have moved their first North American distributions back at least two years.
Cars are unlike other commodity goods that consumers buy. A vehicle is often the second most expensive purchase an adult makes (after a home), and there’s a lot more careful thought and raw emotion that goes into it –the kind of soul-searching that isn’t normally applied to a DVD player. Cars are expected to remain in the hands of the purchaser for at least three years for lessees and more for outright buyers. Since it’s a large, long-term purchase, buyers will spend weeks or months cross-shopping, test-driving, and reading reviews online.