Chinese Car Brands Look to Australian Engineering for Continued Success

How can Chinese car brands achieve long-term success in Australia?

Australian engineering experience is seen as crucial for Chinese car brands to maintain their rapid rise in showroom success, according to automotive engineer Bernie Quinn of Premcar. Quinn believes that Chinese brands need to improve and better understand the wants and needs of Australian consumers in order to sustain their sales success in the country. He emphasizes the importance of refining products to suit local customer expectations and tailoring them to local conditions and buyer tastes.

Bernie Quinn, an automotive engineer at Premcar, believes that Chinese car brands must tap into Australian engineering experience to continue their rapid rise in showroom success. He points out that Japanese and South Korean brands had a similar rapid start in Australia and suggests that Chinese brands need to achieve a deep understanding of what Australian consumers want and need from their vehicles.

Quinn highlights the importance of careful refinement to meet local customer expectations, stating that many Australian new-car customers are willing to pay extra for a car that is made or tuned for the local market. He suggests that generic or ‘global’ products would be more successful if they were tuned to local conditions and buyer tastes.

While Premcar has experienced its own rapid growth, Quinn believes that the expertise and experience of companies like his could provide a breakthrough for Chinese companies. He emphasizes that some of the world’s best cars have been developed in Australia and that leveraging Australia’s car-making skills and expertise would give Chinese automakers a fast track to success in the competitive Australian market. He believes that Chinese automakers are achieving impressive progress with new-vehicle quality, similar to the growth of Hyundai and Kia in the past.

Quinn praises Chinese brands for their good design, suspension, powertrains, and interiors. However, he sees opportunities for further improvement, particularly in tuneable elements such as ride and handling, powertrain calibration, and infotainment software development. He believes that if these elements are tailored to meet local consumer preferences and conditions, Chinese vehicles will become even more appealing to Australian new-car buyers.

• Chinese car brands need Australian engineering experience for continued success
• Understanding Australian consumer preferences is crucial for Chinese brands
• Refining products to suit local expectations is important
• Tuned elements can enhance vehicles for Australian market

Chinese car brands can benefit from Australian engineering experience and expertise to ensure their continued success in the Australian market. By understanding and meeting local consumer preferences, refining products, and tailoring tuneable elements to local conditions, these brands can further enhance their appeal to Australian buyers.