Brand plays a part in how anyone buys cars.Brand plays a big part in how Chinese people buy cars, even oversea Chinese here in North America. Take the new Genesis cars for example, they rival the German counterparts in price and (in my opinion) exceed them in execution in many areas, and they are generally accepted to be equals here in North America. But if you read/watch China-based auto reviewers, they will always question the value in Genesis because it's a Korean brand, despite admitting to how good it is.
In that sense, it's definitely an uphill battle for BYD, but I think creating a new brand to deliver the "premium/luxury" lineup is the right way to go.
I saw an Infiniti Q60 coupe on the road the other day. Seemed nice enough, sure it's a fine car...
Then I realized I couldn't think of an Infiniti since the G35...