JAC boss says Chinese car stigma is shrinking
Chinese cars are winning acceptance far faster than Japanese brands did but negative reviews still hurt challenger brandsThe News
The managing director of JAC Motors Australia says that brutal reviews of JAC vehicles ‘hurt’ but reckons the stigma around Chinese-built cars is fading faster than it ever did for the Japanese.
The Key Details
- JAC boss admits negative coverage hurts the brand
- Says Chinese acceptance curve is “more exponential” than Japan’s was
- China-built cars now outsell Japanese-built cars in Australia
- Hunter PHEV launch a chance to reset JAC’s reputation
The Finer Details
While Chinese challengers such as BYD and Geely have been slowly building brand equity in Australia over the past few years, others have faced headwinds.
Asked whether outlets putting early JAC vehicles – name the JAC T9 diesel ute – on a hoist and tearing into them had damaged the brand, JAC Motors Australia managing director Ahmed Mahmoud didn’t blink.
“I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t hurt, of course, because we know the blood, sweat, and tears that go into this car,” he told carsales.
“With some of them we scratch our head… some of them are subjective and you’d hope that all the comments continue to be objective.”
Mahmoud spent 20-odd years at a Japanese brand – Toyota – and said its acceptance curve “took forever” when Holden and Ford ruled the roost and dominated the sales charts.
By comparison, he said Chinese brands are being accepted far faster, as more people actually drive their EVs, plug-in hybrids and diesels.
The numbers back him up.
China-built vehicles have found 364,617 Australian buyers to the end of October, up 77 per cent, while Japanese-built cars sit at 242,836, down 19 per cent, according to VFACTS and EVC data.
China first overtook Japan as our top source of new cars in February.
He said the occasional hardcore buyer will never accept a car from another country, but the elephant in the room “is getting smaller and smaller”.
JAC’s own sales tell a tougher story. The brand has sold 663 vehicles to the end of October, down 51 per cent.
Even so, Mahmoud says owners on unofficial user pages are posting about covering huge kilometres without a hitch, and JAC is gathering testimonials through an owners’ portal.
The Road Ahead
The Hunter PHEV is JAC’s chance to change minds, backed by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty that covers commercial use and a ute-for-ute loan program.
Whether the brand can match the success of BYD and GWM remains to be seen, but the debate about Chinese build quality is clearly shifting.
Related: JAC T9 2023 Review
Related: JAC Hunter PHEV pre-production 2026 Review
Related: 2026 JAC Hunter PHEV ute to be cheap
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