Interior Motives China Conference 2007

There are 1.3 billion people in China, with 38 million cars between them. 7 million new cars were sold last year, nearly 9 million are expected to sell this year - a growth rate of over 25%. Of the 140 different Chinese car companies, the top ten are responsible for 85% of sales. And the average age of buyers is getting lower - it is now in the early thirties.

More than anything else, these figures demonstrate how this huge and rapidly changing market is the future of the car industry. This, in turn, is why most delegates were attending the Interior Motives conference in Shanghai last month.

The first speaker Li-Chih Fu, Design Director, Nanjing Automotive Corporation, gave one of the most impressive presentations of the conference, speaking with considerable authority on many issues facing a Chinese car brand in establishing an authentically Chinese design direction. In particular he cited one of the core differences for Chinese car companies over western car companies, as being that they have no heritage of the horse and cart which is the core foundation upon which western car design has built upon over the years. This was the basis for the reason he felt Chinese car design need not focus on dynamism as classical western automotive design does, but instead should have fuller volumes, shorter hoods and have a more secure and solid aesthetic. Essentially, China has bypassed the classic automotive idiom of speeding along the "open road" for a high status product that is a comfortable place to be in traffic jams.

Martin Smith, Executive Design Director Ford of Europe and Asia Pacific, talked about how the sedan version of the new Mondeo was focussed on the Chinese market and features differences in trim from its European equivalent, some of which will retrospectively be introduced into Europe as "the requirements of the Chinese market are more sophisticated". He also talked about Ford research that found an unexpectedly positive reaction to 'Kinetic Design' amongst the brand's target Chinese customers, which underpinned his view that in general the Chinese car market will have automotive design taste closely aligned to other markets.

Olivier Boulay, Director of Daimler Chrylser Advanced Design Center of Japan, reminded us of the Porsche designed C88 and Mercedes Benz FCC, both cars of 1994 designed for China (he might well have also reminded us of the Chrysler CCV) that showed how ten years ago the West "didn't understand that the Chinese were clearly projecting themselves well into the future". Shizuki Katiyama, Design Director Visteon Auto Interiors, asserted that "the Chinese tend to focus on decorative features" and how the principals of Feng Shui could form a basis for Chinese car design.

These different perspectives came to form the core issue raised within the conference: will predominantly western car design adapted slightly in detail be most successful in China, or will car designs that draws upon Chinese culturally based aesthetics be the most successful strategy for the Chinese car market.

Other speakers, including those from Ford, Audi, Citroen, and GM, also made interesting presentations, on brand, environmental and design education related issues and were less specifically about Chinese market issues. But Du Cao, Chief Engineer Chery Automobile gave a unique talk that highlighted the largest issue facing Chinese car design today, that Chery, like most other Chinese car brands, currently lacks any design direction or internal capabilities to create well designed cars. Despite a production capacity of 750,000 per year, he is totally dependent on external design services; three of the current production cars come from the same well known Italian Design house ("personally I'm not very happy, because I paid 3 times but got the one design!"). He talked also of how Chery exported 50,000 cars per year and was looking to grow and how this necessitated their dependence on "foreign styling" - "we need your guys help" he asserted to the audience.

This honest and frank presentation (Du Cao even showed the audience the B21 sedan due for launch in 2008) was refreshing for its candid portrayal of the core design issues facing Chinese car companies, but was also remarkably positive: unlike most other car companies Chery recognises their need for external assistance and is proactively seeking support as the best strategy for building on an already very successful business. 

By Sam Livingstone