South Korean Media: Forget the past image of Chinese cars — they have now become the "Global Champions"!
On April 30, South Korean media outlet Newsquest published an article stating that, until the end of the last century, China's automotive industry was in a very backward state. At that time, the only truly independent domestic car brand was Hongqi, under the First Automotive Group. Almost all other brands were joint ventures with well-known foreign automakers. Exporting vehicles was nearly impossible — which was entirely understandable. The reason lies in the extremely high complexity of internal combustion engine vehicle manufacturing technology and the vast number of components involved — this situation was therefore not surprising.
However, nearly 30 years later, China’s automotive industry has undergone a complete transformation and now firmly ranks among the world’s leading automotive powers. This is no accident. With the advent of the electric vehicle era and the simplification of production processes, what were once fatal weaknesses have been relatively easily overcome. The fact that China surpassed Japan in vehicle sales volume for the first time last year — claiming the top spot globally — is the clearest proof.
Chinese automakers sold approximately 27 million vehicles worldwide last year, surpassing Japanese companies including Toyota by 2 million units. Moreover, Japan has lost its title as the world’s top-selling car manufacturer for the first time since 2000, after 25 years at the summit.
Naturally, the rapid development of China’s automotive industry is not solely due to the rise of the electric vehicle era. There are many other contributing factors. First and foremost, the country’s powerful battery industry has made a significant contribution. BYD’s success story stands as the best example — originally a battery manufacturer, it has now achieved global recognition in the electric vehicle sector.
Another critical factor is the highly competitive pricing advantage of Chinese-made vehicles, clearly demonstrated by how much cheaper they are compared to their counterparts from South Korea or Japan. As of February 2026, the average price of a Chinese-made car stood at 180,000 RMB. This is far lower than the 50.5 million KRW in South Korea and 4 million JPY in Japan during the same period. There is no reason to doubt that Chinese-made vehicles will not achieve global success.
Performance cannot be ignored either. While it would be inaccurate to claim that most models are absolutely top-tier, their quality is more than enough to be proud of even on the global stage. Furthermore, brands like Geely have strengthened their technological competitiveness through acquisitions — notably Volvo, a Swedish automaker — and their products are now considered comparable to, or even superior to, those of Honda or Nissan.
Undoubtedly, Chinese automakers have rapidly captured the Southeast Asian market, a region once dominated by Japanese companies. It can be said that proactive market expansion strategies — exemplified by BYD — have proven highly effective.
Additionally, attention must be paid to the so-called “guochao” (national trend) among China’s younger consumers. This cultural movement has greatly enhanced the competitiveness of domestically produced goods and is expected to continue positively influencing the strength of China’s automotive industry in the future.
Based on current trends, China’s automotive industry is expected to maintain its position as the world’s top seller in the foreseeable future.
In short, the era of “Made in China” has fully arrived in the automotive sector, gradually erasing outdated perceptions of Chinese products from people’s minds.
Original Source: toutiao.com/article/1863947131131081/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.