Geely's products are indeed the most interesting now that you have daring brands like Human Horizons gone.
Even Nio can't match Geely in offering boundary pushing products. Geely has Zeekr and Polestar. Nio is so BMW/Audi like in offering premium, well rounded products with a coherent structure but at risk of being bland. Only when you step into the $100k USD and up price range do you get into properly interesting Nio and BYD cars like the Nio ET7 and BYD's high end Denza and Yangwang products.
Meanwhile you have even Hongqi offer more interesting products below that price range and you've got talent like Voyah, Avatr, Xioami, Leapmotor, IM (SAIC's), GWM's Wey, Ora and Tank. Also there's some decent styles from GAC's premium sub-brands. Almost all of these brands offer at least a handful of interestingly styled and competent models.
On the opposite side of the exceptional but bland spectrum you have Aito and Li Auto. By far the more popular choices in China are the BMW/Audi/Merc/Lexus style bland but exceptional models from Aito, Li Auto, Nio and on the lower cost end, BYD. GWM Tank is very popular though especially the 300 due to mods and affordability.
BYD is really the Toyota of China now. They do hold and develop the best batteries though but I'm human and I prefer a track Xiaomi SU7 or a modded Tank 300 just like I'd take a used Jaguar XJR over a top of the line new Camry or a Land Rover over a top of the line new Landcruiser. Sure the Aitos and Nios are nowhere near as dull as Toyota but BYD low end models are exactly that philosophy and because of that they sell well until the options for much more interesting vehicles are around you.
Give it time and any new market where Toyota competes with Chinese brands, give it 10 years for the Chinese brands to prove acceptable reliability and you'll see the same preference for these more interesting models that we are seeing in the Chinese market. Brands like BYD and Toyota will always remain quite dominant due to their affordability and perceived values but they'll lose market share when alternatives exist. We're seeing this with Chinese market because it is the market with the greatest range of cars available on earth. You can buy literally any car brand in the world in the Chinese market (except Indian cars which are mostly Chinese parts anyway). Every single British brand, Italian brand, German brand, Japanese brand and just about every single American brand including Lincoln, Cadillac and Buick. Just no GMCs and Dodge.
