The Old Diocesan Issue 12 - Magazine - Page 68
HOT TOPIC
Not too long ago, anything with
a “made in China” tag meant low
price and even lower quality, but
the world’s emerging superpower
has not only raised its game; it’s
raised the “tech and spec” bar for
the entire automotive industry.
“They’ve created excitement
in the market, and everyone’s
benefiting”, says Chris. “Suddenly,
people expect a rear-view camera
on every motorcar. It’s not an
option; it’s a standard feature,
like everything else. And any
Chinese car has got them all.”
Which brings us to competitive
advantage #1 for Chinese cars:
they live up to their name. “Have
a good look at the average German
luxury car assembled in South
Africa,” says Chris, “and you’ll say,
hang on, where do all the bits
come from? Where does the metal
come from? China. Electric seats,
SA’s 10 best-selling Chinese vehicles in 2025
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lights, screen? China. So what’s
actually German? But with
Chinese cars, all the parts are
actually from China. Cars that
are made in China are Chinese
cars.” This helps explain the
bang-for-buck pricing.
Cue competitive advantage #2:
“The build quality is, by definition,
on the leading edge. If you go to
Germany or China, you don’t see
any people making cars – because
they’re made by robots. In Europe
and America, the robots are eight
or 10 years old. In China, though,
those robots are brand-new – the
best tech in the world. It’s nextlevel engineering. Have a look
at the tolerances on a BYD, and
then compare that to a similarspec German luxury brand, and
you think, jeepers. Take the badges
off and you wouldn’t touch the
German one for half the price,
let alone double the price.”
In a nutshell, the problem
with Chinese cars is one of
perception. Because we’ve all
bought cheap plastic Chinese
doodahs that break before we
unwrap them, we think the cars
will have the same build quality.
“I’ve been there, and I promise
you, that’s not the case,” says
Chris. “They come from the most
advanced factories in the world.
It’s a very different way of life.
They have created these huge
zones of creativity: no crime, no
litter, no traffic, a high standard
of living. It’s just mind-boggling.
And the end result is that it’s
difficult to compete against.”
As Alan can attest, China is
dominating the EV realm in
GRAPH INFORMATION CARS.CO.ZA
“Do you know that the market capitalisation of
BYD is more than Mercedes-Benz and BMW
put together? They are probably the most
technologically advanced motor company
in the world.” –Chris Scoble
but they went “over the road”
to Rondebosch, blurring the line.
“We ended up living between the
two schools,” Chris says. “In those
days, our best mates were often
Bishops boys, especially if you lived
in the Golden Mile. Enemies on the
rugby field on Saturday, mates for
the rest of the week!”
Their dealership is a local
institution, a “Rondebosch
community business”, as Chris
puts it. On the showroom floor,
Japanese marques used to take up
most of the space, but the product
mix has changed in recent times.
“We made a decision two years ago
to invest the future of this business
in Chinese cars – Omoda, Jaecoo,
BAIC, JAC, MG and BYD,” he says.
“If you go back eight years, 80% of
our sales were Honda, Mazda and
Suzuki. Today, the Chinese brands
together make up over 50%.”
In short, Chinese vehicles have
enjoyed a pretty rapid ride. Chris’s
explanation? “It’s simple. When
you start driving them, you realise
they’re just better. It’s difficult
for some people with a ‘made
in China’ mentality to get their
heads around, but it’s undeniable.”
