First of all, it should be noted that modern Chinese tyres are divided into three broad categories:

• products of world famous brands made in China;

• products of Chinese companies designed for export;

• products of Chinese companies intended for the domestic market.

And before drawing any conclusions, it makes sense to consider all these three categories in more detail.

< p> Famous brand products

Many world famous manufacturers have factories in China. This makes it much cheaper. Local workers can be paid significantly less, regardless of their qualifications. In the Asian region, taxes are not as high and restrictions on the environmental friendliness of production are not as severe as in Europe. In addition, many major tyre manufacturers have rubber plantations in the region.

At the same time, it is argued that the quality of the products does not suffer in any way. After all, it is produced on the same equipment, and the control is carried out by qualified workers hired in the same country where the manufacturer's headquarters is located. Well, since the production is almost completely automated, the human factor is completely excluded. As for marriage, it may also appear in a European plant.

Sounds pretty convincing. And as practice shows (as well as numerous tests conducted by car magazines), if a tyre model from a well-known manufacturer is successful, then it does not matter at all whether it was made in France or China. Although, due to stereotypes, many car owners still prefer to avoid “Made in China” products.

Chinese products for export

Many large Chinese companies today they are struggling to enter the world market. And to do this is by no means easy. Indeed, in the same Western Europe, there are very strict standards. And in order to get on store shelves, a tyre must strictly comply with them.

And Chinese companies are really trying. Manufacturers such as Pace, Linglong, Nankang, Firenza and Infinity have already learned how to produce really good tyre models that are not too inferior in their characteristics to low-cost European brands (like Barum or Debica), but are somewhat cheaper. There is no need to talk about competition with such industry leaders as Michelin or Nokian. However, the products of the latter fall into a different price category.

One can safely say that Chinese tyres produced for export to other countries deserve the attention of consumers who are looking for low-cost solutions. It's hard to say how good they are in terms of safety, but they will provide you with a reasonably cheap mileage. Sometimes even comparable to what low-cost models of famous brands provide. However, if the model you have chosen is also available on the European market, then there is no doubt that it is not dangerous and at least somehow, but meets European standards.

It should be noted here that many Chinese companies are actively cooperating with European manufacturers. For example, they buy outdated, but time-tested technologies from them. And often they are not too shy, simply copying some well-known model (although it is impossible to do this completely and the copy still remains worse than the original).

Chinese products for the domestic market

A This is where you have to be very careful and vigilant. After all, there is a very high probability of stumbling upon that very infamous "Chinese". It is best to avoid unknown Chinese brands altogether. Or, at least, you should look for information about them on the Web, find out if the model you have chosen deserves attention at all. Moreover, you should not trust general information on the websites of stores or retailers, but reviews left by consumers who have already had the good fortune to try out such tyres on their wheels.

And it's not just about the quality of the tyre. It is likely that produced on the latest equipment, it will provide quite a decent mileage. Another thing is that such a tyre can be simply dangerous, even if it was copied from a well-known and very successful model of a European or Japanese manufacturer.

Conclusion

Even in conservative and demanding Europe, a significant percentage of cars run on tyres made in China. According to some reports, this is about 30-35% in the low-cost segment. And it is to be expected that this figure will only increase. But the Chinese still have a lot of work to do before they can achieve really high quality and start competing first in the middle class, and then in the premium class.

But the most difficult thing for Chinese manufacturers will be to break the established stereotypes. Modern consumers just on a subconscious level do not trust products from the Middle Kingdom. And, perhaps, this picture will not change until at least one generation has changed.

Thus, if you purchase products of a well-known brand, then it is quite possible not to worry too much which it was produced. With a very high degree of probability, all standards were observed, the quality remained high.

Tyres from large Chinese manufacturers, produced for export, also deserve attention, but only as low-cost solutions, with all the ensuing consequences.< /p>

As for models made by no one at all, such purchases should be avoided, no matter how attractive the price may seem.