RE: Geely gearing up for Lotus production in China

[Tuna]

telecat said:

As a HiFi User I'd also point to the Kit they produce even under a Good Name. Users of Audiolab kit find the "new" China Production isn't as good as the "old" UK. Many Chinese Valve Amps aren't fit for purpose either. Many have valves that light up but are not connected to any audio circuit. You want to risk your neck that's your choice. My recommendation goes elsewhere.

Moving production from anywhere to anywhere else always carries some risk the product changes - not surprising if audiophiles can tell the difference. However, I've visited factories in China and the stuff they're capable of is incredible.

The point that others have made is right - people on the whole want cheap stuff. It's not economic to make cheap stuff here (and interestingly, it's getting less and less economic to make it in China, really low cost production is moving elsewhere). So buyers of cheap stuff buy cheap stuff from cheap manufacturers - and then complain that it's not as good as the expensive stuff they chose not to buy.

I'd be very surprised if Geely produce anything other than very nice cars in China. Their brand image(s) are not about low cost, but about cars you want to drive in. If that helps our local lads produce exciting cars that I want to drive in, then I am all in favour.

[Straff99]

Rotus?

[rodericb]

Tuna said:

I'd be very surprised if Geely produce anything other than very nice cars in China. Their brand image(s) are not about low cost, but about cars you want to drive in. If that helps our local lads produce exciting cars that I want to drive in, then I am all in favour.

So if they exported the Geely Beauty Leopard to England you'd buy one? Maybe a Geely HQ? Or maybe you'd like one of their sub-brand? The Englon CS5-RV might be up your alley!

[kambites]

rodericb said:

So if they exported the Geely Beauty Leopard to England you'd buy one? Maybe a Geely HQ?

Err, neither of them has been in production for more than ten years so I really fail to see their relevance to anything. Their current cars look decent enough, in a bland Germanic sort of way.

Edited by kambites on Saturday 19th January 12:57

[anonymous-user]

Well, whatever happens with the badge it won't be the first time the name has been used to flog tat from the Far East,

Isuzu Piazza/Impulse. The 'Handling by Lotus' cars sold had updated interior and exterior equipment. The exterior having a redesigned rear, with a large 'hoop' spoiler, new rear lamps, new rear badging with 'Handling by Lotus' badges and removal of the rubber side bumper strakes for a cleaner, more modern look.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&a...

[Tuna]

rodericb said:

Tuna said:

I'd be very surprised if Geely produce anything other than very nice cars in China. Their brand image(s) are not about low cost, but about cars you want to drive in. If that helps our local lads produce exciting cars that I want to drive in, then I am all in favour.

So if they exported the Geely Beauty Leopard to England you'd buy one? Maybe a Geely HQ? Or maybe you'd like one of their sub-brand? The Englon CS5-RV might be up your alley!

That's exactly the sort of idiotic dismissal that lets the Chinese quietly overtake our domestic companies. Remember Geely owns Volvo and Lotus as well as Proton, The London Taxi Company and a bunch of others.

[Alex P]

Frimley111R said:

I tihnk you missed my point. People mostly have no clue or / and care little where something is made. That's fact. Of course it would be lovely to think everything is made here but that's just unrealistic.

However, I am not saying that seeing the life sucked out of our UK factories etc is a good thing. Clearly it isn't and no-one wants that to happen but in between customers and people who want it to stay are the business owners themselves who are there to make money and they know that so few people care where cars and other things are made that they can make them somewhere else for less.

And I think your first point sums up the problem. If 'the consumer' was as concerned about the origin of the products they buy as some people are with deforestation/animal welfare/starvation in Africa etc. etc. then we could have more equitable societies here in the West as well as greater control over safety/materials/future parts supply/service that goes into products and helps ensure that they are usable for much longer. For example, the globalised supply chain often results in products that are impossible to repair as parts are not stocked and they therefore end up in landfil.

I will admit however that it is increasingly difficult to purchase items that are not manufactured somewhere a long way away and the economic benefits for suppliers/brands/manufacturers of low cost economy production are significant - cheap labour/cheaper parts/little or no employee protection/no pension obligations etc.

At the moment this split tends to be design/engineer in the West, manufacture elsewhere. As these economies develop and the workforce becomes better qualified, much of the higher paid design/marketing/engineering jobs will also go to developing economies because, put simply, why pay staff in the West much more than people just as capable in lower cost economies? The economic argument is exactly the same as it is with manufacture.

[GT3-RS]

I despair

[rodericb]

Tuna said:

rodericb said:

Tuna said:

I'd be very surprised if Geely produce anything other than very nice cars in China. Their brand image(s) are not about low cost, but about cars you want to drive in. If that helps our local lads produce exciting cars that I want to drive in, then I am all in favour.

So if they exported the Geely Beauty Leopard to England you'd buy one? Maybe a Geely HQ? Or maybe you'd like one of their sub-brand? The Englon CS5-RV might be up your alley!

That's exactly the sort of idiotic dismissal that lets the Chinese quietly overtake our domestic companies. Remember Geely owns Volvo and Lotus as well as Proton, The London Taxi Company and a bunch of others.

Err no - people warbling on about "Chinese cars are as good as German cars!!!!1" is what lets the Chinese quietly overtake your domestic companies. As Aunt Mavis asks car-enthusiast nephew Tuna what car to buy and Tuna says "oooh don't buy anything locally made as it's junk and built by morons and the german cars are overpriced blah blah Chinese cars are gonna take over the world...." and then the same to Ralph at work, Sharon in accounts and so on.

You said this:

Tuna said:

I'd be very surprised if Geely produce anything other than very nice cars in China. Their brand image(s) are not about low cost, but about cars you want to drive in. If that helps our local lads produce exciting cars that I want to drive in, then I am all in favour.

and I'd be very surprised if Geely produced nice cars. Of course it all depends on what you define as nice.... If their self-developed cars are anything to go by I suppose the chromed plastic, 'crystal-clear' headlights and tarmac tearing 102kW of the top version of the Geely X7 SUV (0-62 in 13.5s!) might be something that you'd want to drive. Hey it's shiny, looks contemporary and has a long warranty..... Chinese designed and built cars like Geely are at least ten years behind Hyundai and Kia and if that's all you expect out of a new car in 2019 then good for you - you can scoff at people who wasted their money on European, Japanese, Korean brands...