Discovering what drivers want in their automobiles

BEIJING - Despite rising prices for essential goods and fuel, the Chinese desire to own a car is as strong as ever, The Nielsen Company said in a recent study.

According to the research, nearly 94 percent of Chinese consumers said that they intend to buy a car in either the short or long term. More than a quarter - 27 percent - said that they plan to purchase a car within a year, while 39 percent said they expect to buy a car in the next one or two years.

The Chinese automotive market has been on a roll. China was the only country to achieve annual growth of more than 20 percent in the past five years and posted 30 percent growth in 2010, industry statistics show.