Every now and then new nations enter the international car market, with varying degrees of success. The Chinese are now trying – will it work?

Previous entrants

In the Seventies, it was Eastern Bloc cars like Skoda, Lada’s version of the old Fiat 124 and the Russian Moskvitch 1500. Twenty years later the Malaysian Proton and South Korean Kia, Ssangyong, Daewoo and Hyundai brands appeared.

The offering to international car buyers was always one of low price, with lower quality and equipment levels, sometimes even lower safety levels. This makes it hard to sell luxury cars
under these brands – Skoda and Hyundai are perhaps on the way to pulling it off, but not yet.

Chinese way of making new cars

The Chinese have approached the international car market in a different way because they have access to greater finance.

They can buy existing companies with high levels of design, manufacturing and marketing expertise which makes it easier for them to access international markets.

Which new cars are Chinese?

Volvo, the Swedish company with a reputation for safe, high-quality cars, was been bought by Geely. Chinese company SAIC, which makes the Chevrolet Cruze for sale in the USA, also bought the remains of British company MG.

After a lull brought on by the international credit crisis, SAIC is now selling British-built cars as MG Motors, but it’s uncertain if that brand will sell well across the world.

But perhaps the most interesting move is from Geely: launching a new global brand called Lynk & Co using Volvo expertise. The first car from the new brand – the 01 – is a strikingly designed, high-quality SUV, loaded with technology.

Importance of luxury cars

Privately-owned Chinese car companies like SAIC and Geely have to be successful internationally as they are less competitive in China than subsidized government-owned manufacturers.

So the Lynx & Co initiative is very important – delivering new cars that aren’t perceived as budget cars and have the quality associated with Volvo.

The 01 will be one of the new cars 2017 will bring to the attention of international car buyers – will it succeed?

When you’ve dealt with as many clients as we have over the years, you learn a thing or two about customer service.

Much of it comes down to not just common sense, but common manners and decency. After all, the clients we buy cars off expect nothing less on any of those fronts.

However, you can give a good service or you can give a great one. In order to up the ante and go that extra mile – something we encourage all of our employees to do, all of the time – there are certain approaches you should take in order to meet truly professional standards. Here are the top five golden rules we always go by.

1. Honesty

   It’s fair to say that a lot of people are skeptical when initially coming to us. They’re most likely not experts in the industry and are concerned about the prospect of being ripped off by a clever trickster.

   As such, you’re unlikely to convince any client to part with their motor until they’ve overcome these completely understandable feelings. The best way to do that is to be forthright and blunt from the start, laying all your cards on the table for them to see.

2. Expertise

   As said beforehand, customers often don’t know much about automobiles or what they’re worth.

   They come to us as they expect us to have these answers, not just in a booklet but off the top of our heads. That kind of expertise reassures clients that they’re in capable hands.

3. Thoroughness

   In tandem with proving their expertise, our employees also have to ensure that all of their knowledge is passed on to their clients, allowing them to make the most informed decisions possible.

   In order to do this, they have to be prepared to cover every detail they could ever want to know. Regardless of whether each client desires such thoroughness, it’s having the option that counts.

4. Authenticity

   Clients like to deal with people, not salespeople. Listening to a stream of well-crafted jargon instantly makes people feel as if someone is trying to bamboozle them with information, something which hardly inspires trust.

   Alternatively, speaking in common, conversational tones helps engender a sense of authenticity.

5. Sense of humour

   Finally, there’s no reason why selling a car shouldn’t be a fun experience.

   Clients like to socialise and have a laugh as much as anyone else, and the whole process becomes a much better experience if they’re able to walk around with a smile on their faces at all times. A keen sense of humour on the employee’s part is the best way of managing this.

If you’re planning on selling your old car and investing in a new one, you’ll want to make sure that your new vehicle is absolutely perfect. After all, you might not go to the trouble of replacing your old car if you didn’t want a superior one. There are four factors you should take into consideration when choosing a new car: safety, cost-effectiveness, overall performance and style. Simply deciding which factors are most important to you can help you work out exactly what type of car you want. Before you can find your dream car, you need to use our four factors to work out what kind of car it is.

1. Safety

How confident do you feel when you’re driving? If you are a less experienced driver (or simply feel a little nervous when you’re on the road), safety might be very important to you. Investing in a safe, highly-stable vehicle can protect you from accidents and (just as importantly) allow you to feel more confident and secure when driving. On the other hand, if you’re an experienced driver and you’re confident that you can drive most vehicles safely, you may wish to focus on other factors instead.

2. Cost-effectiveness

If you are on a tight budget, you will need to prioritise cost-effectiveness. You should look for a vehicle that can be purchased without breaking the bank. However, you should also make sure that it will be affordable to run in the long-term. For example, it shouldn’t have a high level of road tax associated with it and should be reasonably fuel-efficient. However, if you’re relatively well-off, you may wish to splash out on something more remarkable but less affordable.

3. Overall performance

Are you passionate about driving or do you simply see your car as a way of getting from point A to point B? If you do enjoy driving, performance should be a very important factor for you. The speed, torque and handling of a vehicle will affect your enjoyment of it, so it’s worth looking for a car that performs well in all these areas. If you aren’t passionate about driving, however, you might prefer to prioritise practical factors (including safety and cost efficiency).

4. Style

Are you happy with a car that you can drive comfortably and which meets your basic cost and safety requirements, or do you want a vehicle that will impress everyone who sees it? If appearance is important to you in general, you should think about style and visual appeal when choosing your new car.

Whichever factors you choose to focus on when looking for your new car, you’ll need to sell your old one before making a purchase. Here at Simply Car Buyers, we’re happy to buy any car, including yours. Contact us today to find out more about selling your car quickly and easily.

If you’re looking at buying a car this year, why not considering purchasing a used vehicle? A used car often doesn’t depreciate in value as quickly as a brand new one and if you don’t drive all that much, a used car can make for a better choice than a new one.

If you’re going to be in the market for a new car in 2017, here are some to seriously consider:

1. Kia Cee’d

This is a good all-round car, being spacious and easy to drive. It is also just as good for short around-town trips as it is for longer motorway driving. Best of all, its seven uear/1,000,000-mile warranty can be transferred on the used market, which means you don’t lose that new-car protection, even if you buy it second-hand.

2. Vauxhall Insignia

The Insignia is a handsome-looking car, with high build quality and it makes for a really comfortable driving experience. For someone looking for a great value second-hand car, the Insignia is a good choice because depreciation has hit this particular car hard.

3. Skoda Yeti

The Skoda Yeti is an SUV, but it has lost the bulky look of most of its competition. It has plenty of space for passengers and is a comfortable way to drive. For people needing extra space, the rear seats can be easily moved backwards and forwards and for those occasions when you really need a van, the rear seats can even be removed entirely.

4. Dacia Duster

The Duster is easily the least expensive way to own a versatile SUV. It is a solid second-hand car with a high build quality, even if the interior is designed to be more functional than stylish. It has a soft suspension system which helps to make driving long distance comfortable, but it can suffer from leaning if you try to take corners at speed.

5. Ford Focus

No list of second-hand cars would be complete without at least mentioning the Ford Focus. It can seat five in reasonable comfort, is great for city driving and motorway use and is a good car to use on those winding B-roads. Its only real issue is storage space – its boot is a good deal smaller than others in a similar size class.

Need to sell your old car to fund the purchase of one of these five models? Get in touch with us here at Simply Car Buyers.

New year, new car. Looking for something stylish, practical, and above all else, fast? These days, UK car buyers are spoilt for choice when it comes to models that fulfill all these requirements – and they don’t have to break the bank either to get them.

The very first hot hatches sold like wildfire when they first hit the market in the eighties, and with good reason. Boy racers and older drivers alike fell in love with the Golf GTIs and Escort RS Turbos of the time, thanks to their more aggressive styling, playful handling, and powerful engines.

Little has changed in 2017. So if you’re in the market for a hot hatch on a reasonable budget, here are our top picks:

Honda Civic Type-R

The first-generation model was renowned for its ability to rev way beyond 8,000 rpm, proving its equal suitability for both the track and the road. An athletic chassis and highly responsive steering mean it’s not as nippy as some rivals, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a car that’s as fun to drive. The legendary Japanese reliability also means you’re unlikely to be visiting the garage too often. Expect to pay between £3,000 and £5,000.

MK6 Ford Fiesta ST

Fast Ford lovers will find few qualms with the sharp and agile Fiesta ST. A 2.0L engine delivers 148 bhp in a car that weighs only 1137 kg, so it’s enough to take the Fiesta from 0-60 in under 8 seconds. It looks the part too; a beefed-up body kit and bigger alloys make no secret of the ST’s sportiness. One thing to be aware of is the firm ride – but it’s a price worth paying. Higher mileage examples can be found for under £4,000 while an extra grand will get you less than 60K.

Renaultsport Megane 225

If you value straight-line speed above all else, then look no further than Renault’s turbocharged Megane 225. It’ll hit 60 miles per hour in a staggering 6.3 seconds, thanks to a 225 bhp engine. It handles well too; throw it into a corner and you’ll get a lot of grip in return. At £5,000 it’s probably the best value of the three – and certainly the loudest one too.