AP Photo
A Chinese man opens the back door to a Chery vehicle on a car lot of a Chery auto dealer in Beijing, China, last year. Chrysler Group has signed a deal with China's biggest automaker, Chery, to produce cars for export to the United States and elsewhere, in the first attempt by a major automaker to use China as a manufacturing base for world markets.

Brian Carless, Gleaner Writer

There are a vast number of Chinese vehicles and Chinese car dealerships popping up all over Kingston. I am wondering whether Jamaica is becoming a dumping ground for these vehicles, with the likes of the Chery, Great Wall and Zhong Feng coming to our shores.

But, are these cars really safe, reliable and durable? Do they have good resale value? Are these car dealers stocking the parts for the cars they are importing into Jamaica?

The design and shape of some of these models aren't pleasing to the eye, and with such name as Chery QQ? Maybe what I am saying now is the same thing that was said about the Japanese cars entering Jamaica in the 1970s when the market was filled with English and American vehicles.

But, are we at a time and place to experiment and invest money to see whether these Chinese cars can make the grade? There are some serious and tough questions. Will the largest automobile market, which the U.S.A., will ever import a brand like Chery?

Stringent crash tests

The U.S.A. and Europe have some stringent crash and emission tests, and I know of a fact that some of these brands have failed crash tests in the U.K. But to some persons it doesn't matter; just buy a car, use it and dispose of it. I might sound harsh, but that's how I feel about them. Will these cars be like the Auto Vaz LADA? But, one of the good things about them is that they will never be on the list of most stolen vehicles in Jamaica.

I don't see the Chinese carmakers making a dent globall they are doing well in the market for which they were made. And the car plants are creating jobs in China.

Question is: will our local car buyers consider the Chinese choice over the Japanese? Is it China vs. Japan?

China's two largest car manufacturers, Nanjing Automotive Corporation and Shanghai Automotive (SAIC) merged at a conference held recently in Beijing. The aim is to make SAIC into a large global manufacturer. This is essentially a complete restructuring of the Chinese automotive industry; something the Chinese authorities were keen to see happen in order to make the country's car industry more competitive.