Chinese Cars Make a Mark in Nairobi

Chinese vehicle models are making a strong showing on city streets. Some years back they made their grand entry in the truck market. First there was the Faw truck and Jiefang truck… mainly targeting the seven-ton truck category. They ended up in many city driving schools where they gave the institutions a new lease of life…they ended up getting more student/learner drivers enrolled as people tend to like new vehicles. For once, driving schools started looking trendy. Previously, only old trucks (Toyota) were being used by the driving schools. The Chinese trucks also proved popular with construction firms where they ended up becoming good tippers. Then came the Yuejin truck, a popular truck in the 3ton category. It proved to be a hardy vehicle with a raised chassis but never made it big in terms of sales. Surprisingly, the few Yuejin still on the road (most of them of KAJ reg) have proved to be good trucks and shattered the mythology that Chinese trucks had not come of age. For some years, dealers stopped advertising new models of Chinese trucks and cars.

Now the Chinese models are back and they are offer serious competition to trucks and pickups from Isuzu, Toyota and other Japanese models. Faw is a shiny model of a bus that has pleased the Kenyan armed forces where it is used as a commuter transport van. But Foton too is attracting positive coverage and attention. Many traders and distributors have acquired the new Foton models of pickups and light trucks. They are said to be extremely fuel efficient. They are now being put to use by many companies including hardware dealers who use them to ferry cement.

Only small Chinese saloon cars are missing in the market. But I guess they too will be here soon.