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Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
Some of these vehicles designed specifically for China can actually also have some appeal in other regions. IIRC the Chevrolet Cavalier and the Sail are already available in Mexico, plus the Sail is also not unheard of in other countries closer to Brazil. I even saw some previous-generation ones in Uruguay.
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Yes, that's the one advantage China-only cars have over US-only cars... more applicable to developing markets that share Chinese tastes. Eventually, those developing markets will sign on to EURO emissions and NCAP requirements, though... but China has that covered... CNCAP is finally up to the same specs as Euro NCAP.
The Sail is quite popular here, but the turnover rate is suspiciously high... lots of one year olds selling at low prices. Have to investigate.
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Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
So, apart from the market becoming more "mature", what about the influence of JDM second-hand imports? At least in Paraguay, the prevalence of automatics might have been a result of this. When it comes to brand-new vehicles, the last one with Paraguayan plates and manual transmission I spotted was a Chinese SUV with its drivetrain being some random copy of older Isuzu designs.
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The last of the super JDM secondhands from the 90's are finally clearing out. But with or without them, typically those wanting manuals are looking at cheaper secondhand cars, anyway.
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Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
The traffic volume might persuade many Chinese drivers to increase the pick rate for the automatics even in smaller econoboxes. Well, they might just copy some random Japanese transmissions as they frequently do anyway... Australia had some influence from the United States through the Canadian subsidiaries of Ford, GM and Chrysler which supplied RHD versions of American cars for overseas markets, even though Australian-made cars ended up having a higher local content than some of its counterparts in South Africa for example. When it comes to India, ease of repair with improvised resources might lead manuals to survive a little longer...
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Chinese companies are now heavily investing in new AT technologies. AMTs are already popular, as they are in India, and CVTs are gaining ground. Several manufacturers have deals with companies like JATCO, others are building their own.
As for India... AMTs seem wildly popular there compared to anywhere... manual tranny ease of maintenance, automatic tranny convenience... some compromises, but easy to live with once you get used to the quirks. I hate the loathsome thing compared to a full manual, but if I had no choice, and if I were the one paying the fuel and maintenance bills, why not?
Last AMT I drove, the replacement clutch cost was less than my personal MT.
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Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
I could really care less about a stick-shifter. What about paddle-shifters?  |
If they come with a starter clutch, I'm fine with sequential paddles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
Dude...
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What can I say? I have my pet advocacies!