Almost half of motorists with £50,000 to spend would consider a Chinese car instead of a model from an established prestige brand.
The September Startline Used Car Tracker, based on 300 car buyer views, found 44% would consider a Chinese marque at this price point, traditionally dominated by manufacturers including Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
More than a quarter of respondents, 27%, said the quality of a car’s design and construction was more important than its badge.
A further 21% believed Chinese manufacturers were capable of competing with established upmarket brands, while 15% said their success with cheaper cars demonstrated their capabilities.
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Brand heritage remains important
However, 20% believed European, US and Japanese manufacturers produced better cars at this price.
Brand heritage and badge appeal became more important when spending larger amounts for 19% of respondents, while 14% viewed Chinese manufacturers as specialists in less expensive cars.
Some 11% said producing a successful luxury car was more difficult than developing a cheaper model, while 10% felt Chinese cars did not project the image they wanted.
Paul Burgess, chief executive of Startline Motor Finance, said Chinese manufacturers were moving beyond the mainstream market with plans for SUVs, saloons and sports cars priced above £50,000.
He said the findings indicated that many motorists would consider buying a Chinese prestige car if manufacturers could deliver a sufficiently strong product.
The survey also found that 46% of people who could afford a Porsche, Bentley or Aston Martin would consider a Chinese brand.
Burgess said: “This is perhaps a more surprising finding.
“There is probably an assumption that people with six figures to spend are very much swayed by the badge of the car they are buying, but again, there is a strong suggestion that even a large proportion of buyers here would be swayed by the right model from China.”