Chinese brands, which were considered exotic “wannabe” players not so long ago, are now seriously threatening the European giants with price, technology and comfort. And no – this is no longer just a TikTok sensation. Chinese SUVs are breaking the European rules of the game!
For around 25,000 euros you get a new, hybrid SUV with massage seats, a 360° camera, artificial intelligence in the dashboard and more digital screens than in a home cinema. No, this is not science fiction – this is China. The question is: how long will European manufacturers turn a blind eye? AND how Chinese SUVs are breaking the European rules of the game.
A new automotive world order?
In Europe, we lived in a car bubble for a long time. Mercedes, Audi, BMW, maybe a Volvo or Land Rover – that was the height of automotive desirability. Then, from the background, almost silently, they arrived. Jaecoo and OmodTwo brands under one roof Chery, the fourth largest Chinese automaker, which clearly took entering the European market as a strategic attack.
Their vehicles are no longer “cheap alternatives” – they have now become actual alternatives, often better equipped, more modernly designed and significantly cheaper than their European competitors.
Jaecoo 7: a Chinese Range Rover for half the price?
Model Jaecoo 7 is an elegantly muscular SUV with a length of 4.5 meters, an imposing image and a passenger cabin that easily competes with premium brands. The interior is digitalized down to the last button – huge screens, ambient lighting, ventilated seats, a driver fatigue detection system, a panoramic roof, a 360° camera and a whole range of systems that many premium manufacturers would offer as expensive additional equipment.
Price? From 28.900 € onward. Fully equipped plug-in hybrid – sold out otherwise 34.000 €. 4×4 drive … 31.900 €.
For comparison: a vehicle with the same equipment from a European brand costs at least €55,000 to €65,000And that's without the massage function on the seats.
Omoda 5: an urban alternative with character
While Jaecoo appeals to a more adventurous, “off-road ready” audience, it is Omod 5 the more urban, trendy choice. With its combination of sharp lines, sporty stance and digital cockpit, it acts like a cross between a Peugeot 3008 and a Tesla Model Y – only for a much lower price.
Electric version of Omode 5 offers up to 450 km range (WLTP), and entry-level models start at €29,000 – subsidy. The interior is surprisingly spacious, and the materials feel beyond expectations. Yes, this model also has heated seats, parking assistance, digital gauges, and voice control.
Sales? Exploded. TikTok? The main culprit.
One of the biggest surprises in this story is TikTok influence. Brands Jaecoo and Omoda have built a strong digital community in just a few months, where their cars have gone viral. Videos of people marveling at the “spacelike” interior and incredible specs for the price have received millions of views.
In salons across Europe they recognize:
"More than half of customers come because of TikTok. They watch one video, come for a test drive and... buy."
Let's add this: TikTok is owned by a Chinese company. Chery uses TikTok to sell its cars in Europe. Gen(t)al.
European manufacturers on the defensive
Meanwhile, European car giants are facing serious challenges: falling market shares, high production costs, and declining profits. Industry insiders say... job-cutih, frozen model development, and most importantly – loss of customers who switch to new players.
Buyers are wondering:
“Why would I buy a 3-year-old model with 90,000 km for €30,000 when I can get a new one for the same price, with a 7-year warranty and all possible equipment?”
And they are right.
Subsidies, tariffs, and political dilemmas
Of course, there are already movements happening behind the scenes. The European Commission has already launched an investigation, whether China is subsidizing its car manufacturers, artificially lowering prices and thereby threatening European competition. If irregularities are confirmed, tariffs are expected - but for now, that has not stopped the wave of Chinese vehicles on the road.
To put it mildly, buyers are not interested in this. What is important to them is that they get a lot of car for little moneyAnd this is what they Jaecoo and Omod they offer it on a tray.
What about the future?
If the current trend continues, we could see on the roads across Europe in the next 5 years the explosion of Chinese electric and hybrid vehicles. Not because they are necessarily better – but because they are affordable, technologically advanced and visually appealing.
But in the background, a question is quietly simmering: What will European manufacturers do when the prices of Chinese vehicles drop even lower and the standard rises even higher?
Bottom line: the car of the future is no longer German – it's Chinese
Just a few years ago, it would have been blasphemous to write this down. But today... today the automotive world is changing. Chinese brands like Jaecoo and Omoda no longer offer "cheaper copies", but vehicles that they set standardsAnd if European industry does not respond quickly, it will become clear: the future is not Made in Germany – but Made in China.
And it's coming faster than we dare admit. Chinese SUVs are breaking the European rules of the game – that's a fact.
