China has become the biggest car buying market… in the world. And its important for any manufacturer to establish a credible sales platform in China because the potential returns can be huge. And the numbers are literally huge, 24 million people in China purchased a new car in 2015.  China has dethroned the USA which could only muster a paltry 17 million new cars sold during 2015. New car sales in Europe totalled during 2015 12 million units. Even hybrid and electric car sales in China are big, 300,000 Chinese buyers purchased an alternative fuelled car. So if you are a car manufacturer just how do you get the potential new car buyers attention? Market research and making sure you appeal to local tastes. The Chinese new car buyer has a specific preference for more rear space with reclining seats and a host of other optional extras. Professionals with well paying jobs who end up buying premium brands don’t buy to drive they actually hire drivers to be driven around in and want extra space in the rear to make the journey more comfortable. Unsurprisingly all of the motoring manufactures have seized upon this territorial demand and now design cars that would be classed as long wheel base editions in European territories. Yes the car manufactures are following the money trail, however there was a time when it was considered bad practice to offer different models to cater for different markets. It was down to loss making economics. Take the Ford Focus, once upon a time it was offered in a number of different body styles for a number of different territories. But doing so proved so costly that Ford now offer the Focus in one bodystyle for all international markets. But its different in China, because the Chinese new car buying market has such big numbers, which continue to grow. This means the economics are abandoned in favour of risk taking. That’s why the likes of Jaguar, Citroen and BMW, to name a few car manufacturers, are now offering LWB models for the Chinese market because the potential return in profit are worth taking the manufacturing and scalability risk.