The Hurun Research Institute launches the "Luxury Car Brands in China White Paper 2014" report. Photo: Courtesy of the Hurun Research Institute

The Hurun Research Institute released its in-depth "Luxury Car Brands in China White Paper 2014" report on November 26, comparing eight luxury car brands that include Audi, BMW, Mercedes- Benz, Lexus, Volvo, Land Rover, Cadillac and Infiniti.

The institute carried out the survey across 10 cities in China between February and October 2014. For each selected brand, a minimum of 10 car owners were surveyed.

The 37-page report recorded how respondents associated different car brands with distinct groups in society, based on their job, social status, personal style and so on. 

The report came to some interesting conclusions. For example, the public opinion of Mercedes-Benz and Volvo car owners are very similar to the way the owners of these cars view themselves. The public perception of BMW owners contrasted greatly to the personal opinions of the owners.

Mercedes-Benz: Owners of Mercedes-Benz cars are considered to be entrepreneurs, cultivated and successful. This was very much in line with how owners of Mercedes-Benz cars viewed themselves.

BMW: Those who drive BMW cars consider themselves to be small and medium sized business owners, or senior managers of multinationals. They see themselves as being positive and are relatively discreet, all of which contrast to the public perception that they are nouveau riche, materialistic and pretentious.

Land Rover: Land Rover car owners are considered to be young rich people who are boastful and vain. However, the owners consider themselves to be professionals and self-made businessmen.

Volvo: Volvo cars, often viewed as inexpensive and practical, are unsurprisingly associated with low-key and valuable members of society. Of the eight car brands owners surveyed, Volvo car owners came closest to their public image, viewing themselves as being family-orientated and loyal Volvo customers.

Audi: Government officials are thought to be the most likely owners of Audi cars. This image was the most distinct image of all the eight brands. Audi owners consider themselves accomplished white-collar workers.

Cadillac: The owners of Cadillac cars are perceived as being mature and family-orientated, while the owners describe themselves as senior managers in multinational companies.

Infiniti: Infinti cars are viewed as being owned by film star types, but the owners see themselves as young, active and middle-class workers.

Lexus: The survey among the public failed to find a distinct class for Lexus car owners, with many respondents giving contrasting opinions. Lexus owners, however, consider themselves to be hard-working professionals in senior management roles of State-owned enterprises.

Rupert Hoogewerf, the chairman and chief researcher of the Hurun Report, shared his opinion on the survey's results.

"Spending money on a nice car is the first outward sign of success for many Chinese. The objective of this report is to highlight the brand image of these luxury cars in China," he said.