Brilliance BS4
As kids, I remember that when my Dad was short of Cash and wanted to change his Car at the time, the only viable option (as far as we were concerned) was a Peugeot GL, getting a Mercedes Benz 200 was the target or a BMW 5 series would’ve been just fine, but a Japanese Car was totally out of it, it was dimmed “Cheap”. Such was the discrimination for Japanese Cars 20 years ago, they were reliable, but people just didn’t like them. They were the Whipping boys of the Major Car manufacturers. Considering a Korean Car was nothing short of heresy at the time, i remeber a friend saying that the Daewoo Racer was not safe because it was made of plastic.
Today we know that Toyota, (a Japanese Car) is the number 1 car manufacturer in the World. And 20years down the line, the Koreans have done better at gearing up their image than the Japanese did. It’s a dream come true if you can afford to buy a Korean “Brand New” car today!!!!! Hyundai has the Genesis which Targets the likes of the 5 Series and the E class (imagine that!!!!!).
The sighting of the Brilliance Bs4 car, made me recognize the 20 year cycle. Now let me ask, how many Brilliance Bs4 cars have you seen on the Road? Quite a few I assume your response will be. Now, how many have you seen broken down by the side of the road? None I’m sure you’ll say. The reason you haven’t seen any broken down isn’t because they’re so few, it’s because of the quality engineering that goes into it. Let me add here, that the Bs4 is actually Chinese!!!!!! Brilliance Auto partners with the Bavarian Boys, BMW to make the BS4. At its launch a few years back, the BS4 actually failed the Euro NCAP crash test. At the time I ranted and abused the Chinese for trying to make cars instead of sticking to making noodles that they’re known for until I found out recently that the Ford F150( the Fastest Selling Vehicle in the World) is not mandated to undergo crash tests because it’s a truck!!!!
Ford F150
So what if the BS4 fails the Euro NCAP tests? To heck with the crash ratings, even more outstanding is the fact that India now makes cars. If you remember 20 years ago, what was the name on the Okada your neighbor had? It was likely going to be Honda. Today, we don’t have Honda bikes in this country. What you’ll find as you board the next Okada will likely be a Lifan, Jincheng or the new one Bajaj plastered so proudly on the tank. These are all Chinese and Indian.
Its pretty much the same thing in the Generator scene, you cannot find an original Honda anymore, it’s all Jin Ling (as the case with mine and my brothers) or some Xing Xang Xu Name.
The 1 question I ask is if it has taken about 20 years for “this revolution” when will Nigeria start with hers???