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The realization that Chinese car manufacturers can ‘make’ European car brands in their home market, the European Union, has existed for some time. Now, however, it has every
The name of the car, which will be Europe’s next ‘Car of the Year’, will traditionally be announced during the Geneva Motor Show. In 2024, the winner will be announced on February 26. At this time, only the nominees for this title are known. At first glance, nothing unusual happens; the show proceeds according to a standard scenario. But with one big caveat: of the 28 car models initially announced as contenders for the title of European ‘Car of the Year 2024’, a quarter turned out to be ‘Chinese’. Not all of them made it through the final selection, but the trend is clear.
These are BYD Atto 3, BYD Han, BYD Dolphin, BYD Seal, Nio ET7, Smart #1 and Volvo EX30. All ‘Chinese comrades’ are electric cars or ‘hybrids’. Don’t be surprised if you see Smart #1 and Volvo EX30 among them. For a long time they have been merely apparently ‘local’. All their “filling” is “made in China”. And they are certainly not produced in Europe.
Let’s not forget that Geely acquired a 50% stake in Smart from Mercedes-Benz in 2020. A year later, Geely and Mercedes-Benz organized a Smart Automobile joint venture headquartered in Ningbo, Hangzhou Province. In this conglomerate, the Germans are solely responsible for the design of smart electric vehicles. The car itself is built on the SEA platform developed by Geely. The mass production of Smart #1 has been launched at the Geely factory in Zhejiang. The Volvo EX30 is also designed on the SEA platform. “Kvazishved” is assembled in the same factory in the Middle Kingdom as Smart #1.
And on November 27, the competition jury selected seven finalists for the prize. They were the BMW 5 Series, BYD Seal, Kia EV9, Peugeot E−3008/3008, Renault Scenic, Toyota C-HR and Volvo EX30. That is, the “percentage” of Chinese models among the contenders for the title of Car of the Year in the Old World has increased from the already announced 25% to almost 30%.
As for the future winner, you can try to name him in advance – and with a high degree of probability. “Car of the Year 2023” was the electric crossover Jeep Avenger, and in 2022 the electric SUV, Kia EV6, also celebrated victory. That is, the Varangian models have prevailed for the past two years in a row. Not ‘Europeans’. This greatly increases the chance that a European brand will receive the coveted title in 2024.
There is of course a possibility that, following exactly the same logic ‘by contradiction’, a model with an internal combustion engine will be placed on the podium in February. But this is unlikely: the massive ‘green’ eco-craze in the EU shows no signs of abating so far.
Taking the above into account, two electric vehicles have the best chance of becoming European Car of the Year 2024: Peugeot E−3008 and Volvo EX30. The latter, we repeat, is practically a purebred “Chinese”. And if he is the one who gets more sympathy from the competition jury, we will all witness a loud humiliation of the European car industry. Masters of the automotive industry are ‘made’ by those who twenty years ago no one in Europe considered car manufacturers. In short, stock up on popcorn: it will be fun in Geneva at the end of February.
The name of the car, which will be Europe’s next ‘Car of the Year’, will traditionally be announced during the Geneva Motor Show. In 2024, the winner will be announced on February 26. At this time, only the nominees for this title are known. At first glance, nothing unusual happens; the show proceeds according to a standard scenario. But with one big caveat: of the 28 car models initially announced as contenders for the title of European ‘Car of the Year 2024’, a quarter turned out to be ‘Chinese’. Not all of them made it through the final selection, but the trend is clear.
These are BYD Atto 3, BYD Han, BYD Dolphin, BYD Seal, Nio ET7, Smart #1 and Volvo EX30. All ‘Chinese comrades’ are electric cars or ‘hybrids’. Don’t be surprised if you see Smart #1 and Volvo EX30 among them. For a long time they have been merely apparently ‘local’. All their “filling” is “made in China”. And they are certainly not produced in Europe.
Let’s not forget that Geely acquired a 50% stake in Smart from Mercedes-Benz in 2020. A year later, Geely and Mercedes-Benz organized a Smart Automobile joint venture headquartered in Ningbo, Hangzhou Province. In this conglomerate, the Germans are solely responsible for the design of smart electric vehicles. The car itself is built on the SEA platform developed by Geely. The mass production of Smart #1 has been launched at the Geely factory in Zhejiang. The Volvo EX30 is also designed on the SEA platform. “Kvazishved” is assembled in the same factory in the Middle Kingdom as Smart #1.
And on November 27, the competition jury selected seven finalists for the prize. They were the BMW 5 Series, BYD Seal, Kia EV9, Peugeot E−3008/3008, Renault Scenic, Toyota C-HR and Volvo EX30. That is, the “percentage” of Chinese models among the contenders for the title of Car of the Year in the Old World has increased from the already announced 25% to almost 30%.
As for the future winner, you can try to name him in advance – and with a high degree of probability. “Car of the Year 2023” was the electric crossover Jeep Avenger, and in 2022 the electric SUV, Kia EV6, also celebrated victory. That is, the Varangian models have prevailed for the past two years in a row. Not ‘Europeans’. This greatly increases the chance that a European brand will receive the coveted title in 2024.
There is of course a possibility that, following exactly the same logic ‘by contradiction’, a model with an internal combustion engine will be placed on the podium in February. But this is unlikely: the massive ‘green’ eco-craze in the EU shows no signs of abating so far.
Taking the above into account, two electric vehicles have the best chance of becoming European Car of the Year 2024: Peugeot E−3008 and Volvo EX30. The latter, we repeat, is practically a purebred “Chinese”. And if he is the one who gets more sympathy from the competition jury, we will all witness a loud humiliation of the European car industry. Masters of the automotive industry are ‘made’ by those who twenty years ago no one in Europe considered car manufacturers. In short, stock up on popcorn: it will be fun in Geneva at the end of February.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
