Reports have suggested the toned-down tail lights on the new 2014 Cadillac CTS are a concession to Chinese tastes, one of many that will appear in new vehicles over the next few years. Photo credit: General Motors Co.
Will the tastes of Chinese consumers -- or the priorities of the Chinese government -- affect Americans' new car choices in the future?
It sounds far-fetched, but it's already starting to happen. More and more, automakers are designing their new cars for a global market. Vehicles like Ford's (F +13.22%) Focus and General Motors' (GM 0.82%) Chevy Malibu aren't just mainstays in the U.S. market anymore. Increasingly, other markets are just as important to the success of these products -- and no new car market is bigger than China's.
So far, this hasn't been a bad thing -- but, in time, it could limit your choices. As Fool contributor John Rosevear explains in this video, the bigger back seats preferred by Chinese car-buyers are one thing. The Chinese government's moves to favor more expensive technologies over conventional hybrids, however, could have global repercussions in time.
