Are You Ready For Chinese Tastes To Dictate Car Design For Next Decade?

For decades, the desires of U.S. car buyers influenced vehicles around the globe. American tastes led to the proliferation of everything from air conditioning and automatic transmissions to supersized cupholders and gas-guzzling SUVs.

But a new alpha consumer is reshaping global showrooms.

China has usurped the U.S. crown as the world's biggest auto market, and size matters. As international automakers rush to win buyers in the Middle Kingdom, Chinese tastes are starting to dictate features popping up in cars sold in other markets, even the United States.

What Beijing buyers want, they get; and, increasingly, so do buyers in New York and beyond.

2010 Hyundai Tucson Photo Gallery

2010 Beijing Motor Show Photo Gallery

2011 Ford Fiesta Photo Gallery

2011 MB E-Class Conv. Photo Gallery

2011 BMW X5 Photo Gallery

AutoSpies.com Photo Galleries

If you want to see your photos running on our homepage photo ticker, be sure to upload your photos on the go by sending them to Mobile@AutoSpies.com

Share on Facebook

Read Article

0to60 - 5/4/2010 12:07:45 PM

+1 Boost

Doesnt everyone else's designs dictate their designs? If so, how would this be possible?

LuvMyLexus - 5/4/2010 12:23:00 PM

-3 Boost

Lexus has been doing this for decades.

LexSucks - 5/4/2010 2:10:24 PM

+4 Boost

"Are You Ready For Chinese Tastes To Dictate Car Design For Next Decade?"

- Not going to happen. China isn't the Mecca of Automobile design. What makes you think that it is? Nice try.

uaw_lax - 5/4/2010 3:54:13 PM

+3 Boost

What bworks in Europe will not work in the US and what works in China will not work for the rest of the world.

LexSucks - 5/4/2010 2:17:46 PM

+2 Boost

The simple fact that Automakers would go to China for anything car related, shows how much of a sorry state that some of the Automotive companies are actually in (design wise). What next? India dictating car design? Please!!

There will always be cars designed specifically for Americans and the American Market. That will not change. America and China are 2 different Continents. Expecting Americans to all-of-a-sudden embrace chinese design (and put it ahead of thier own) borders on insanity. Wont happen.

Lexus - 5/4/2010 2:52:47 PM

+2 Boost

+2 for LexSucks = ) Good point.

Steve - 5/4/2010 2:58:38 PM

0 Boost

BWM and Mercedes-Benz seem have both been inspired by Asian styling cues. Take a look at the traditional round headlights replaced by swoopy units like those we have seen for over a decade from Japanese car makers. MB's latest wrap-around tail lights look very Toyota. Who knows what will come out of China? It may well end up being a trend-setter, as the Japanese have done.

BTW, I bet BMW and MB fanboiz will be hating this post, big time. And I have a couple of BMWs of my own, and I love 'em, so I don't fit the profile of being a "hater." Go figure :-)