The prognosticators who 15 years ago predicted we’d all be driving Chinese cars are being proved right. Across Europe, Chinese brand sales accelerated by 80 per cent as the rest of the European car market fell by 3.6 per cent. Awareness of Chinese brands is now widespread, with just 3 per cent of respondents saying they are unaware of any Chinese car brand. Six in 10 respondents (61 per cent) describe their view of Chinese car brands as positive, while 31 per cent remain neutral. In this, Ireland seems a petri dish for how Chinese brands aim to steamroll all of Europe.

Source: The Irish Times February 25, 2026 08:32 UTC