Chinese Brands To Dominate Nigeria’s Automobile Industry In 2016

Indications have emerged that the Nigerian auto industry in 2016 will see a burst of Chinese automobile brands in the country as more players tag along with the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP).

Stallion’s daughter automobile manufacturing company, Zahav Automobile Company Nigeria Limited, with plants in Ikotun, Lagos, is the local assembler of Foton Tunland pickup, the Changan and BAIC models, as well as the indigenous Stallion Force pickup.

Already, the company is positioning the Foton Tunland and Stallion Force pickups to give the likes of Hilux, L200 and other competitors a run for their money in 2016. The Chinese brand also has the CS2 Foton passenger bus assembled at the Ikotun plant, which is poised to take off a huge market chunk from Toyota’s Hiace and the likes.

A sizeable number of sedan and sports utility vehicles (SUV) models are coming off from the Zahav plants this year. They include the Changan models- CS35 an SUV, the Changan Eado, a city sedan and the BAIC models which are majorly the D-series, all being assembled in Nigeria.

Stallion has urged emerging businesses and astute commercial ventures not to wander afar in search for functional and reasonably priced pickup trucks as it unveiled the all new “drive beyond borders” Foton Tunland pickup and of course the Stallion Force, both of which are all-wheels drive.

Zahav’s head of sales and marketing, Mr. Sanjay Rupani said Foton Tunland pickup was introduced to assuage some of the challenges small businesses and commercial ventures contend with when prospecting for functional and adaptable vehicle to support their businesses.

“The next generation Foton Tunland pickup would compete in the one tone vehicle segment where renowned brands like Toyota Hilux, Nissan NP300, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi L200 have demonstrated utter competence,” Rupani assured.

Coming in relatively very cheap, these Chinese vehicles essentially share the DNA of two renowned automobile manufacturers – Daimler Automotive Company, maker of Mercedes, and Cummins Engine Company, as the Chinese automakers, Changan Motors and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company Ltd (BAIC) are in technical partnership with these global automobile names to enhance a globally accepted quality.

Also, leading distributor of Toyota in Nigeria, Elizade Motors Limited plans to begin assemblage of the JAC brand, a Chinese brand also at its Ikotun plant in Lagos by 2nd quarter of 2016.