[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

I think if 5 star crash ratings are achieved (no reason why they cannot) and power levels offered matching Ranger and Hilux then the tide will turn more quickly. Actually I'm surprised they haven't already tried to hit the 150+kw diesel power level to really get stuck into the market leading brands. Maybe the fact the Chinese home market favours petrol has slowed this from occurring.

Perceptions of Australia’s requirements versus what’s been developed for other markets, they’re combating what is the base 135 Kw diesel in Ranger and others…the high series is a TTV6 petrol engine that no one else in the segment offers, if there’s movement in sales because of that, Ford and Toyota will probably respond….

And lets be very frank...as good as Ranger and Hilux are the products are overpriced. The fact most Japanese brands and Ford charge more is because the market has paid the money. When the Chinese brands offer more for less and if their image of being "inferior" is disproven it will be interesting to see what the market will do.

It’s fortunate that a new Ranger is coming, perfect timing I’d say.
There’s a level of refinement in the new Ranger that will be hard to match.

I wonder if a Chinese built Ford is of lessor quality than a North American built Ford or a EU built Ford? Of course if they all used the same component spec/trim quality level and assembly QC was identical it should make no difference what the "Made in XXXXX" stamp says.

The quality of Ford China’s plants generally matches or exceeds those in Europe or North America.

Some of us are old enough to remember where Japanese products, not just cars, sat image wise in their early days.

You don’t have to go back that far, Korean cars were dismissed until they grabbed the entry level market and made it their own. GWM could become the Kia of Utes.