The highway connecting Beirut to Jounieh, at the level of Jal el-Dib on June 22, 2026. (Credit: Philippe Hage Boutros/L'Orient-Le Jour)
They are not ubiquitous, but Chinese cars have clearly established themselves on Lebanese roads. In less than 10 years, they have won over a growing number of Lebanese. Setting aside prejudices about their quality or performance, they have joined a global trend: in 2025, more than 35% of cars sold worldwide will have rolled out of Chinese factories, according to CAAM (China Association of Automobile Manufacturers).Ragi*, in his 50s, bought a gasoline-powered SUV from a major Chinese brand in 2018 for $20,000, with an impressive number of options for the price. "If I had bought a German car, as I used to do, it would have cost me three or four times as much back then," he said. Zeina* and her husband also switched to Chinese cars starting from 2022: "We bought an almost new vehicle, then two more, a gas car and an electric...
They are not ubiquitous, but Chinese cars have clearly established themselves on Lebanese roads. In less than 10 years, they have won over a growing number of Lebanese. Setting aside prejudices about their quality or performance, they have joined a global trend: in 2025, more than 35% of cars sold worldwide will have rolled out of Chinese factories, according to CAAM (China Association of Automobile Manufacturers).Ragi*, in his 50s, bought a gasoline-powered SUV from a major Chinese brand in 2018 for $20,000, with an impressive number of options for the price. "If I had bought a German car, as I used to do, it would have cost me three or four times as much back then," he said. Zeina* and her husband also switched to Chinese cars starting from 2022: "We bought an almost new vehicle, then two more, a gas car and an...
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