China August 2017 – Focus on the All-new models

Haval M6

As is the BSCB tradition, we put a laser focus on the new locally-produced launches in China, the world’s fastest-evolving market, so you can on the bleeding edge on the latest additions. After a shy July that saw only three introduction, the August 2017 class is rich with seven new China-made nameplates, six of them Chinese – demonstrating once again the dynamism of the local manufacturers – and six of them SUVs, confirming this is well and truly the only segment on fire in China currently.

1. Haval M6: 3.201 sales

China’s SUV king Haval inaugurates a new naming nomenclature with this M6, however this is in fact a sporty-looking version of the previous generation H6 which is still on sale in China. It is priced similarly to it at 89.800-109.800 yuan (US$13.500-16.500) vs. 88.800-118.600 for the previous gen H6 but logically priced below the current gen H6 (101.800-140.800). Being derived from China’s best-selling  SUV, the M6 competes right into the most crowded segment in the country with the likes of the GAC Trumpchi GS4, Geely Boyue and Changan CS75 all the while undercutting them all in price. Although it seems like overkill at this stage (the H6 also has a Coupe variant plus each model has both red and blue label versions), Haval seems to have thought there is yet another niche of the market they can fill with the M6. The new nameplate’s start seems to give them reason, already positioning the M6 as Haval’s third best-selling model in August below only the H6 and H2 but above the H7, H9, H5, H8 and H1 in this order. Haval is in great need of new blood in its range as it has seen sales drop 13% this month, so the M6 comes at the right time. As long as it doesn’t end up cannibalising H6 sales (down 5% in August), this could end up being a good operation for Haval, as counter-intuitive as it first looks.

Bar for success: 8.000 monthly sales

2. GAC Trumpchi GS3: 842 sales

Unveiled at the Chengdu Auto Show in August, the GAC Trumpchi GS3 already makes its first appearance in the Chinese sales charts on the same month. GAC Trumpchi seems to do no wrong with its SUV range. The tremendously successful GS4 has already sold almost 700.000 units since its launch in May 2015 and its honeymoon period still hasn’t ended will sales up another 15% so far in 2017, ranking 6th overall and #2 SUV below the Haval H6. The much larger GS8 has also hit the bullseye with just under 75.000 sales in just ten months. Only the GS7, a 5-seat variant of the GS8, is struggling so far.

GAC Trumpchi GS3 interior. Picture autohome.com.cn

In this context, the all-new GS3 seems destined to a stellar career. It is reasonably priced at 73.800-116.800 yuan (US$14.200-22.400) and competes (in size) with the likes of the – much cheaper – Baojun 510, but also the MG GS and ZS, Soueast DX3 and Changan CS55. The polished, leather-clad interior impresses, with a large 10 inch touch screen, and the engines available are a 137hp 1.3 turbo and the 114hp 1.5. Similarly to the GS8, GAC Trumpchi should be aiming at 10.000 monthly sales to declare the GS3 a success, but it could go much higher.

Bar for success: 10.000 monthly sales

3. Cowin X5: 692 sales

Cowin, formerly a Chery sub-brand, was launched as a stand-alone brand in August 2014 and premiered at the Chengdu Auto Show in September of that year, however only started appearing in Chinese sales charts in July 2016. Currently the C3 sedan and C3R hatch, V3 MPV and X3 SUV compose the lineup. But the new brand is already starting to puff, with sales down 65% year-on-year in August. This new entrant is no good news for the Cowin brand: the X5 is none other than the previous generation Chery Tiggo 5. This seems to indicate Chery is already starting to give up on the Cowin trial by only feeding it outdated models. The X5 concept car was alluring and let us imagine a brand new SUV. Not so. In fact, only the badge has been changed from Chery to Cowin as this is 100% from the inside out a 2013 Chery Tiggo 5. The 152hp 1.5 turbo engine has also been kept.

Logically, the X5 is priced below the Tiggo 5 but only by 10-15%: from 79.900 to 104.900 yuan (US$12.000-15.800) vs. 88.800-123.800 for the Tiggo 5. The X5 now competes with lower-end SUVs such as the Dongfeng Joyear SUV X5 and the Geely Vision SUV but ironically, local outlet Autohome also pits it against the Chery Tiggo 5 and 7, seemingly acknowledging the potential cannibalisation that the Cowin X5 may trigger. The fact that Tiggo 5 sales freefall 85% this month to just 770 isn’t good news either, even if it is seemingly awaiting the new generation to kick in. In terms of Cowin sales precedents, the C3 peaked at 1.205 units in July 2016, the V3 at 2.045 in October 2016 and the X3 at 4.431 in October 2016 also, and all these designs were new so it would be unreasonable to expect the same level of success for the X5. On the other hand if the X5 is as or more successful than the aforementioned nameplates, it could mean Cowin becoming an unglorified low-cost hand-me-down of Chery with no design differentiation.

Bar for success: 3.000 monthly sales

4. Baojun E100: 674 sales

Baojun is an extremely successful brand manufactured by the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint-venture, owned at 44% by General Motors. Thanks to the exceptional success of the 510 SUV and 310 hatch, added to the 560 SUV and 730 MPV, the brand is up 84% in August and 34% so far in 2017 with just under 550.000 sales. The E100 is Baojun’s first electric vehicle, and if it behaves the same as the manufacturer’s latest launches, it should smash records for this segment in China. But the EV sphere has been quite opaque in the country since its inception, with wide reports of exaggerated sales in order to illegally benefit from the government subsidies. EV is still the far-west of China, but sales are definitely on the up. Plus the Chinese government is currently mulling a date for the ban of sales of petrol vehicles. So EVs are here to stay.

Baojun E100 interior. Picture autohome.com.cn

Baojun has pushed the envelope for the E100 whose interior is particularly cool for a Chinese vehicle. Tiny, at 2.49m, it has a 39hp electric motor, can go to up to 100 km/h and has a 155km range. Originally priced between 93.900 and 109.900 yuan (US$14.100-16.600), these rates drop to a very affordable 35.300-48.200 yuan (US$5.300-7.300) once green-car subsidies have been factored in. The E100 competes with other mini EVs such as the Zotye E30 (max: 2.044 monthly sales), Zhi Dou D2 (peak at 5.018 sales this month), Zotye E200 (3.500) and Chery eQ1 (1.660). Applying a Baojun filter to these best performances – i.e. smashing them – may not be quite adequate yet but the market does expect a frank success from the E100.

Bar for success: 3.500 monthly sales

5. Geely Vision X3: 363 sales

Three months after the Vision X1 which was in fact a facelifted Panda, Geely launches yet another crossover with the Vision X3, based this time on the Geely England SC5-RV and keeping its 1.5 engine. The X3 adds also to the Vision sedan, facelifted this year, and the Vision SUV, a smashing success. It would appear that after deleting its Englon and Gleagle brand a few years ago, Geely now cannot help but building sub-brand families: the Emgrand EC7, GS and GL and this fourth Vision nameplate… The Vision X1 is 3.78m long and is priced between 39.900 and 57.900 yuan (US$ 6.000-8.700), the X3 is 4.01m long and also priced very competitively at 50.900-65.900 yuan (US$ 7.700-9.900), all the while sporting an interior design that we have found in much dearer Geelys.

Geely Vision X3 interior. Picture autohome.com.cn 

Apart from the Baojun 510 (170.000 sales in seven months), few have managed to crack the small crossover segment in China. The Vision X3 will also compete with the likes of the Chery Tiggo 3X, Changan CS15, Haval H1 and JAC S2. For reference, after four months in market the Geely Vision X1 has only managed to crack the 3.000 monthly sales barrier, meanwhile Geely’s larger SUVs such as the Boyue (21.872), Emgrand GS (12.953) and Vision SUV (10.942) fare a lot better. In this context, doubling the current X1’s personal best would be a step in the right direction for the X3 and position it halfway towards its larger siblings’ volumes.

Bar for success: 6.000 monthly sales

6. Isuzu MU-X: 359 sales

Japanese car and truck maker Isuzu is engaged in two joint-ventures in China: one with Qingling Motors that produces trucks, and one with Jiangling Motors Co. Group (JMCG) which until now has produced pickup trucks. Based in Nanchang in the Jiangxi province, this joint-venture is called Jiangxi Isuzu Motors. Its first China-made vehicle was the Isuzu D-Max launched in December 2014 (starting at 114.000 yuan (US$17.200), and it later launched a cheaper variant called the Ruimai starting at 84.800 yuan (US$12.800) but sporting a different logo. You can find their sales evolution in our dedicated monthly China LCV articles. Logically, now comes the D-Max-based MU-X SUV, originally launched in November 2013 in Thailand and finally reaching Chinese shores as a local production. Priced between 178.800 and 268.800 yuan (US$ 26.900-40.500), it is offering a rugged and very capable alternative to the Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5, all priced similarly but smaller. The Haval H9, Changan CS95, GAC Trumpchi GS8 and Maxus D90 (see below) would compete with the MU-X as far as Chinese manufacturers are concerned. The Jiangxi Isuzu Ruimai is up 106% to 10.623 sales after 8 months this year while the D-Max is up 46% to 5.651. In this context we think a stretch target of 1.000 units/month should be applied for the MU-X.

Bar for success: 1.000 monthly sales

7. Maxus D90: 83 sales

The last novelty for August – but definitely not the least impressive – is the imposing Maxus D90 SUV. After two vans, the V80 (September 2011) and G10 (May 2014), and one pickup, the T60 (November 2016), Maxus launches its first SUV, the D90. Maxus is owned by SAIC who bought the brand from the British LDV Group in 2010. The D90 is one of the largest Chinese SUVs in market at 5.01m lounge. It’s an AWD powered by a 221hp 2.0 turbo mated with a 6-speed auto gearbox. Priced very attractively at 156.700-263.800 yuan (US$23.600-39.700), it undercuts all its rivals: the Haval H9 starting at 199.800 yuan, the GAC Trumpchi GS8 starting at 163.800 and even the Changan CS95 starting at 159.800. Maxus will also try to convince foreign SUV buyers that would have otherwise looked at the Toyota Highlander (239.800 yuan start), VW Terramont (308.900 start) or Toyota Prado (369.800 start), all these models being extremely successful already.

Maxus D90 interior. Picture autohome.com.cn 

Traditionally, Chinese manufacturers have struggled to impose themselves in the full-size SUV segment. Only the GAC Trumpchi GS8 has managed to crack the mould with two five-digit sales months and a personal best of 10.032 units last March. Maxus’ low brand awareness in the passenger car segment won’t help, but the vehicle is striking in design and has all the required luxuries inside to satisfy its target clientele. The G10 van hit a personal best of 2.815 sales last March, while the T60 Pickup hasn’t managed to crack the 1.000 monthly sales yet with 882 units last April being its best so far. In this context, reaching 2.000 units would be a gage of success for the D90.

Bar for success: 2.000 monthly sales

Previous month: China July 2017: Focus on the All-new models

One year ago: China August 2016: Focus on the All-new models

Current China data: China August 2017: Chinese SUVs near 60% segment share, market up 4.1%

China LCV August 2017: Market down 16%, pickups and Jinbei in shape

JMC Baodian

* See the Top 45 best-selling models by clicking on the title *

Thanks to our partnership with Chinese consultancy outlet Cedars, we can share with you today August LCV data for China. In August LCV sales (<3.5T) are down a harsh 16% year-on-year to 98.967 units, pulling the year-to-date tally down 6% to 1.019.866 registrations. In the segment detail, minivans drop 22% to 31.399 leading to a 21% year-to-date decline to 368.176 while Mini Trucks alarmingly post a second consecutive freefall month at -24% to 37.878 with the year-to-date total remaining in positive – just – at +3% to 400.844. Once again, pickup trucks are the only segment under the sun with a 9% gain to 29.690 leading to a 13% year-to-date improvement to 250.846.

Jinbei Mini Truck sales are up 98% year-on-year in August. 

The Wuling Mini Truck (-22%) and Hongguang V (-24%) remain in the lead in spite of harsh declines, with the Dongfeng K-Series Mini Truck jumping up 25% to third place. The Wuling Sunshine is back up 11 spots on July to #4, distancing the Great Wall Wingle 5, still the best-selling pickup in the country despite a 12% drop. It is followed this month by the JMC Baodian helped up 3% by its refresh. Notice also the Jinbei Minivan up 42%, the Jinbei Mini Truck up 98%, the ZX Auto Grand Tiger up 21% and the Great Wall Wingle 6 up 50%. The new Nissan Navara drops three spots on last month to #21 overall but remains the 7th best-selling pick up in the country.

Previous month: China LCV July 2017: Market down 18% but pickups up 8%

One year ago: China LCV August 2016: Pickups (+33%) outsell minivans for the first time

Full August 2017 Top 45 models ranking table below.

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China August 2017: Chinese SUVs near 60% segment share, market up 4.1%

The Baojun 510 symbolises the dynamism of Chinese brands in the SUV segment.

* See the Top 77 All China-made brands and Top 422 All-models by clicking on the title *

Sales of passenger cars in China confirm they are now firmly back in positive with a third consecutive year-on-year gain in August at +4.1% to 1.875.000 units, lifting the year-to-date tally up 2.2% to 14.807.000 sales. Once again, SUVs are the isolated engine of the Chinese market’s growth with deliveries surging up 17.1% year-on-year to 783.058, cars down 2.2% to 948.709, MPVs down 16.2% to 139.255 and minivans down 27.2%. In August, sales of passenger cars with engine capacity of 1.6L and below – the core of the market affected by the tax changes of the past couple of years – is down just 0.5% year-on-year to 1.268.000 units, accounting for 67.6% of the total passenger car market vs. 70.8% a year ago. Year-to-date, these vehicles are down a limited 2.1% to 10.084.000 units or 68.1% share. To get a global picture of the Chinese market we need to add commercial vehicles, up 12.8% to 311.000 sales in August leading to a year-to-date total up 16.9% to 2.704.000 units. Buses are down 10.9% but trucks up 21.6%. All-in-all, the Chinese total vehicle market is up 5.3% in August to 2.186.000 units and up 4.3% year-to-date to a record 17.511.000 sales.

The Changan CS55 is up 5-fold on its July score. 

Now onto the much talked-about market share of Chinese manufacturers at home. The total share is up just 0.5 percentage point year-on-year in August to 41% of passenger cars, but the picture is very different depending on the segments. Cars also see a 0.5 percentage point increase to 18% share thanks to 168.000 units, up 4.6% year-on-year. Chinese-branded SUVs are up 25.2% year-on-year to 462.000 units, accounting for 59.6% share up from 56% a year ago. Finally Chinese-branded MPVs are down 30.1% to 110.000 units of 79.3% share, down from 86.8% a year ago. Year-to-date, the market share of Chinese branded passenger cars is up 1.1 percentage point to 43.2% thanks to sales up 4.8% to 6.389.000. In the detail, Chinese cars increase by 0.7 percentage point to 19.3% share with sales up 1.6% to 1.380.000, Chinese SUVs increase by a whopping 3.6 percentage points to 59.4% thanks to sales up 24.6% to 3.556.000 and Chinese MPVs decrease by 5.6 percentage points to 83.9% with sales down 21.4% to 1.078.000. So once again, the heroes of the months are Chinese-branded SUVs, and given the onslaught of new models being unveiled every week in this segment, they are bound to reach even higher shares in the near future.

The VW Lavida/Gran Lavida is now only 4.000 sales off the YTD pole position.

Some manufacturers officially announce Chinese retail sales including imports which vary from the data tables we provide below, and this paragraph is dedicated to these announcements. The Volkswagen Group reports a 9.2% increase to 353.500 sales in August, with the Volkswagen brand up 10% to 265.400 and Skoda stable at 26.000. Year-to-date, VW Group sales are now up 0.7% to 2.49 million, above rival General Motors’ unchanged 2.38 million. In August, GM is up 12% to 328.425, helped by Cadillac up 51% to 15.014, Baojun up 62% to 82.658, Chevrolet up 21% to 46.705 and Buick up 9.6% to 103.277 just as Wuling drops 19% to 80.771. Among Japanese carmakers, Honda Motor leads the way at +21% to 128.671 units, followed by Nissan Motor up 18% to 122.319 and Toyota Motor up 13% to 108.500. Year-to-date, Honda is up 18% to 886.641, Nissan up 9% to 877.638 and Toyota up 7.1% to 841.400. Ford Motor on the other hand is down 1% to 97.863 this month. Audi has now firmly reclaimed its premium crown – in the lead for the 2nd consecutive month – with sales up 10% to 54.205, distancing Mercedes up 25% to 50.505 and BMW up 12% to 47.385. It will be tough for Audi to reclaim the lead year-to-date however, with totals now standing at 360.225 (-6.6%) vs. 391.772 (+33%) for Mercedes and 383.976 (+16%) for BMW AG.

The Baojun 310 is the best-selling Chinese car at home – if electric variants are counted separately. 

As always the China-made wholesale brands data shows a slightly different picture, although Volkswagen replicates its market-beating 10% year-on-year improvement. The Honda brand displays a stunning 43% gain at #2, above Buick (+0.1%) and Toyota (+18%). Geely continues to gallop ahead with a splendid 76% surge, bettered by Baojun though (+84%). GAC Trumpchi (+34%), Venucia (+44%), Roewe (+47%), Soueast (+50%), MG (+54%) and Leopaard (+66%) also post spectacular gains – all of them thanks to new SUVs – but strikingly, more Chinese brands are down (22) than up (19) this month. Blockbusters such as Haval (-13%), Changan (-19%), Wuling (-26%), Beijing Auto (-27%), BYD (-27%), Chery (-33%), Haima (-37%) and Brilliance (-57%) are losing foot, while among smaller brands Changhe (-37%), Borgward (-40%), Jinbei (-54%), Weichai (-54%), Landwind (-61%) and Cowin (-65%) are fast headed towards disappearance. Great Wall (-85%) is slowly dying now that GWM has contained the brand to pickup trucks. Eight new China-made brands have made their appearance over the past 12 months, led by WEY (#42), Bisu (#47), Hanteng (#48) and SWM (#49) with Jaguar (#61) and Acura (#65) following at a distance. This month we welcome Isuzu as a China-made passenger car brand, which will be covered in our traditional monthly focus on the All-new models.

The WEY VV7 single-handedly stabilises Great Wall Motors sales just as Haval drops 13%. 

Over in the models ranking, the VW Lavida/Gran Lavida rallies back up from #7 in July to pole position this month thanks to sales up 12% to 43.024, with the Buick Excelle (+24%) in 2nd place showing cars are not dead yet. The Haval H6 (-5%) is down from #1 in July to #3 this month and will have its work cut out to match last year’s performance during the last Quarter. The Nissan Sylphy (+23%) and Toyota Corolla (+24%) make it four cars in the Top 8. As the months go by, the Wuling Hongguang keeps aligning counter-performances: now down 24% to a paltry 5th place and only 4.000 sales above the Lavida year-to-date. The Hongguang has been the best-selling vehicle in China for the past four years, but 2017 could turn out to be the Lavida’s year if the Hongguang continues on its downward trend.

The all-new T700 is the only Zotye nameplate in the Top 100 this month.

For its part the Baojun 510 is stable on its record-breaking July score just under 33.000 units, brilliantly remaining the #2 SUV in the country, this as the cannibalised 560 (-31%) has bottomed up: up 30 spots on July to #52. The VW Tiguan soars 49% to over 29.000 sales and is the only foreign SUV among the seven best-sellers: it is followed by the GAC Trumpchi GS4 (+5%), Geely Boyue (+110%), Roewe RX5 (+143%) and Changan CS75 (+26%). Baojun also makes itself noticed with the 310 hatch, more than doubling its sales on July to a record 18.724, for the first time the best-selling Chinese car and among the ten best-selling cars overall when only counting combustion versions (Geely Emgrand EC7 electric variants push it up to #9 and #1 Chinese)… Three additional nameplates break their volume record in the Top 50: the Geely Emgrand GS (12.953) and GL (10.923) but the most spectacular is the Changan CS55 up 5-fold on July to 11.450 for its fourth month in market. Among recent launches, the Chana Oushang A800 (#77), WEY VV7 (#85), Zotye T700 (#91), Leopaard CS9 (#114), Lifan Xuanlang (#150), Bisu T5 (#163) and Geely Vision X1 (#168) also achieve record volumes.

Previous month: China July 2017: Haval H6 leads, market lifted up 4.9% by SUVs

One year ago: China August 2016: Second consecutive month up 26% – SUVs up 44%

Full August 2017 Top 77 All China-made brands and Top 422 All-models below.

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China July 2017 – Focus on the All-new models

Nissan Kicks. Picture auto.sina.com.cn 

Today we put a laser focus on the new locally-produced launches in China, the world’s fastest-evolving market, so you can stay up-to-date on the latest additions. The July 2017 promotion is a shy one with only three newcomers – all of them SUVs – and the first foreign launch in two months.

1. Nissan Kicks: 4.531 sales

Already launched and successful in Latin America and the Middle-East, the Nissan Kicks has now landed in China as a locally-produced nameplate. This is a very important car for Nissan in China, as it gives the Japanese brand a serious competitor to the incredibly successful XR-V/Vezel duo from Honda, and also an advantage over Toyota which is (disappointingly) yet to release a local version of the CH-R. It also competes with the likes of the Mitsubishi ASX and Suzuki Vitara, and in the Chinese aisle, the (much cheaper) Baojun 510 and MG GS and ZS. Had it launched a couple of years earlier, the Kicks would have almost definitely turned out to be Nissan’s biggest blockbuster in China. It’s now a little late in the game but should still deliver serious volumes for the brand. Priced between 99.800 and 134.800 yuan (US$15.100-20.400), it is significantly cheaper than the Honda twins (127.800-189.800 yuan) which augurs well for its chances of success. Nissan’s range in China is currently dominated by the Sylphy sedan ranking #6 overall so far in 2017, with the Qashqai (#30) and X-Trail (#31) a notch below. The Qashqai has never sold more than 16.000 monthly units in China (PB is 15.680 in November 2016) whereas the X-Trail has topped the 20.000 units three times, peaking at 20.504 in November 2015. In this context, we would want the Kicks to flirt with the 15.000 monthly units to fit with the gang, but it could certainly go much higher. For reference, the XR-V’s record is 19.714 (April 2017) and the Vezel 18.329 (November 2015).

Bar for success: 15.000 monthly sales

2. GAC Trumpchi GE3: 32 sales

Debuting at the Detroit Auto Show last January as a semi-concept and unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April, the GAC Trumpchi GE3 is the brand’s second electric SUV after the GS4 EV and is a compact SUV a la Kia Niro. It is powered by an electric motor with 177 hp, the range is 300Km and the top speed 156 km/h. The GE3 inaugurates a new platform developed solely for electric cars that will also underpin an MPV and a sedan. It enters the already large contingent of Chinese EV vehicles, most of them only playing a dummy role in the sales charts. Priced reasonably at 222.800-245.800 yuan (US$33.700-37.200), the GE3 should however not reach the highest ranks of the Chinese sales charts.

Bar for success: 1.000 monthly sales

3. BAW BJ90: 2 sales

The BJ90 already has a convoluted history. Spied in its final form since September 2015 and rumoured to be unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2016, the BJ90 only makes its appearance in the Chinese sales charts today, and with a lonely two units at that. No official launch has been set yet, there are no test-drives in the Chinese press which given the allure this large SUV sports is a sizeable missed opportunity. But the BJ90 isn’t really a BAW vehicle. It would appear that BAW uses imported Mercedes GL-Class and only changes badges, some body panels, some parts of the dashboard and the rear seats. All the rest, including the drivetrain is the same and almost nothing is actually manufactured in China! This sorcery is made possible by a technology-transfer agreement with Mercedes-Benz, one of BAIC’s joint-venture partners in China. Given the recent success of the BJ20 and BJ40 finally surfing on the Chinese SUV craze, delaying the BJ90 is total nonsense. Worse: competing with the Honqi LS5, it would appear this vehicle will be reserved to military or government officials. Its price should start around 800.000 yuan (US$121.100).

Bar for success: 200 monthly sales

Previous post: China June 2017: Focus on the All-new models

One year ago:  China July 2016: Focus on the All-new models

China LCV July 2017: Market down 18% but pickups up 9%

The China-made Nissan Navara is now the #7 pickup in China.

* See the Top 45 best-selling models by clicking on the title *

Thanks to our partnership with Chinese consultancy outlet Cedars, we can share with you today July LCV data for China. This month the overall LCV market is down a harsh 18% year-on-year to 87.700 units, leading to a year-to-date tally down 5% to 902.922 sales. Pickup trucks continue to rally back with a 9% gain in July to 28.228 units and a 13% surge year-to-date to 221.123 units. The oddity this month is the freefalling of Mini Trucks (aka Mini Pickups) down 22% to 43.060 but still up 8% year-to-date to 366.230. Meanwhile minivans continue to fall into oblivion at -33% to 25.713 units and -23% to 315.569 registrations year-to-date.

The Wuling Mini Truck and Hongguang V remain the most popular LCVs in China this month despite drops of -25% and 27% respectively. The Great Wall Wingle 5 (+7%) shoots up to third place overall ahead of the Dongfeng K-Series Mini Truck (+42%) while the Jinbei Mini Truck (+121%) reappears in the ranking after over a year of non-reporting by Brilliance. The victims of the month are the Chana Star Mini Truck (-47%) dropping from #3 in June to #89, the Chana Star Minibus (-63%) dropping from #4 to #16 and the Wuling Sunshine (-72%) dropping from #5 to #15. Great performers include the Dongfeng C-Series Minivan (+72%), Huanghai N2-Series Pickup (+40%) and Jiangxi Isuzu Ruimai (+156%). Launched last month, the China-made Nissan Navara gains three spots in the Pickup ranking to hit #7 and climbs to #18 overall.

Previous month: China LCV June 2017: Pickups up 14%, Nissan Navara lands

One year ago: China LCV July 2016: Pickups up 26%, Mini Trucks up 12% in market down 11%

Full July 2017 Top 45 models ranking table below.

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China July 2017: Haval H6 leads, market lifted up 4.3% by SUVs

Facelifted Haval H6 Coupe (red label). Picture auto.sohu.com

* See the Top 76 All-brands and Top 426 All-models by clicking on the title *

Light vehicle sales in China are up for the second month in a row at +4.3% year-on-year in July to 1.678.900 units, an impressive feat on its own as July 2016 sales were boosted up 26% by the prospect of a tax increase on small engine vehicles, which took effect on January 1. Sales of these vehicles, with engine capacity of 1.6L and lower, are down just 1% year-on-year in July – an exploit – at 1.113.000 units, accounting for 66.3% of the passenger car market vs. 69.8% a year ago. These vehicles add up to 8.809.000 units year-to-date or 68.1% of the market, down 2.5% on the previous year. Looking at sales by segment, SUVs are once again the sole engine of growth as they are the only segment posting a year-on-year gain at +16.3% to 694.118 units while sedans are down 0.3% to 824.900, MPVs down 9.9% to 132.361 and minibuses down 39% to 27.500.

All-new Haval H6 (blue label). Picture auto.sohu.com 

Overall so far in 2017, the Chinese light vehicle market is up 2% to a record 12.931.000 units. Adding to this, commercial vehicle sales are up 18.4% in July to 293.000 units, leading to a year-to-date tally up 17.5% to 2.394.000 deliveries. In total, July sales of all vehicles – passenger cars and commercial vehicles – are up 6.2% year-on-year to 1.971.000 units and lead to a 2017 total of 15.325.000 units, up 4.1% on the same period in 2016.

The Baojun 510 now ranks 4th overall in China, once again beating its volume record. 

As far as the – much discussed – share of Chinese manufacturers in different segments, in July Chinese-branded passenger cars are up 7.2% to 679.000 units or 40.5% of the total PC market, up from 39.4% a year ago. Chinese car sales are up 4.1% to 148.000 or 18% of this segment, up from 17.2% a year ago. The biggest improvement is to be seen in the booming SUV segment where Chinese brands are up 25.2% to 394.000 sales or 57.1% share, up from 53.8% a year ago. The Chinese share of MPVs is down from 85.6% to 80.2% as sales slump 16.5% to 110.000. Over the first seven months of 2017, Chinese branded passenger cars add up to 5.619.000 sales, up 4.7% year-on-year for a 43.5% market share, up from 42.4% a year ago. SUV share is up from 55.7% to 59.3% thanks to sales up 24.5% to 3.093.000 units, car share is up from 18.7% to 19.5% as sales grow 1.2% to 1.212.000 units but MPV share is down from 89.9% to 84.5% as sales plunge 20.3% to 969.000 units.

The Geely Boyue sells a record 21.872 units in July, outselling the VW Tiguan.

Some manufacturers officially announce Chinese retail sales including imports which vary from the data tables we provide below, and this paragraph is dedicated to these announcements. The Volkswagen Group sees its deliveries gain 8.1% year-on-year in July to 309.100 units, with the VW brand up 8.7% to 228.900 and Audi up 10% to 51.235, reclaiming the premium crown off Mercedes (up 32% to 48.588 including Smart) and BMW (up 8% to 43.311 including Mini). Year-to-date, the VW Group is down slightly at -0.6% to 2.148.000 sales, and Mercedes still holds the premium top spot at 341.267 sales (+34%) ahead of BMW at 336.591 (+17%) and Audi at 306.020 (-9.1%). Honda Motor maintain its advantage over Toyota Motor with 7 month-sales reaching 757.970 (+18%) vs. 732.900 (+6.2%) for Toyota. Ford Motor for its part drops 7% to 84.474 units. Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen continues to implode into oblivion with sales down another 38% in July to 21.104 and year-to-date deliveries down 47% to 168.933. To add insult to injury, the premium DS brand is down 97% to just 22 sales due to a -162 unit-“correction” applied to the DS 6 SUV…

The WEY VV7 improves its debut score by 91%, allowing Great Wall Motors to stay in positive.

As always the China-made wholesale brands data shows a slightly different picture, with Volkswagen up 7% followed by Honda (+11%) and Toyota (+24%). Geely surges 88% to 91.208 sales and becomes the best-selling Chinese brand year-to-date at 616.925 (+87%) vs. 593.240 (-5%) for Changan, down to #8 this month. Buick edges up 1%, Nissan is up a solid 15% and Baojun shoots up 77% to 62.418. Haval drops 10% in 9th place – Great Wall Motors edges up 0.1% to 69.063 (thanks to WEY – see further down) and just 2% year-to-date at 529.806. Hyundai (-29%) is finally on the mend: up 6 spots on June to #10, but Kia is still struggling at -52% to #26. Chevrolet (+22%), GAC Trumpchi (+30%), Mercedes (+49%), Roewe (+98%), Mazda (+17%) and Cadillac (+50%) all post strong results inside the Top 30. Among smaller brands, notice FAW up 37%, Soueast up 49%, Leopaard up 52%, MG up 53%, Volvo up 44%, Mitsubishi up 434%, Karry up 80%, Renault up 194% and JMC up 107%.

The VW Teramont is approaching the 10.000 monthly units in China. 

Although a majority of Chinese brands are on the up this month and so far this year, it’s not the case for all, with some large manufacturers starting to lose foot: Dongfeng is down 12%, BYD down 20%, Borgward down 21%, Wuling down 21%, JAC down 27%, Beijing Auto down 29%, Haima down 34%, Brilliance down 37% and Jinbei down 45%. Worse: newly launched Cowin is down 80% and clone-addict Landwind down 70%. Among foreign carmakers in difficulty, let’s note Jeep (-5%), Peugeot (-26%), Suzuki (-34%), Citroen (-56%) and Fiat (-88%) now discontinued. No less than seven new brands have launched on the China-made market in the past 12 months (five Chinese) and in July the most successful are WEY (6.075) only in its 2nd month of sales, SWM (5.919), Bisu (4.766) and Hanteng (3.512).

Over 8.000 Honda Avancier found a buyer in China in July alone: a record. 

Over in the models ranking, the Haval H6 takes the lead for the third time ever after April and November 2016, and this despite a 5% drop and facelifts all across the six model-lineup that compose the H6 nameplate (add H6 Coupe and Classic as well as blue and red labels for each model). Leader last month, the Buick Excelle is knocked down to #2 but gains 10% year-on-year, distancing the Wuling Hongguang posting an alarming 19% slump. The star of the past few months improves again: the Baojun 510 beats its volume record for the 5th straight month, lifting it to 33.036 and now only 4.300 sales from the Chinese market pole position.

The Geely Emgrand GS is among the 10 best-selling SUVs in China for the first time.

The 510 symbolises the non-stop energy and money Chinese carmakers are investing in the booming SUV market: in July, 7 out of the Top 10 best-selling SUVs in the country are Chinese, with the VW Tiguan (#5), Nissan X-Trail (#7) and Honda XR-V (#9) the only foreigners. The Geely Boyue (+116%) beats its volume record at 21.872, the Roewe RX5 is up 11-fold on its debut a year ago, the Changan CS75 is up 120% and the Geely Emgrand GS also breaks its monthly sales record at 12.863 (+91%), appearing in the Top 10 SUVs for the first time. Sedans are not dead though: below the Buick Excelle, the Toyota Corolla (+16%), VW Sagitar (+38%), VW Magotan (+48%), Geely Emgrand EC7 (+16%), VW Polo (+35%) and Honda Civic (+73%) shine.

Bisu T5. The new Bisu brand has already sold 24.000 units in China. 

The list of nameplates hitting an all-time high volume this month is long as is usually the case in fast-moving China, and in July it includes the VW Teramont (8.148) up 19 spots on June to #68, the Honda Avancier (8.044), WEY VV7 (6.075) up 92% on its June debut, Skoda Kodiaq (5.905), Honda UR-V (5.775), Chana Oushang A800 (5.330) up 10-fold on its June debut, the Zotye T700 (4.355), Leopaard CS9 (4.223) up 27% on its June debut and now the brand’s best-seller, the Peugeot 5008 (3.437) a welcome breath of fresh air for the embattled French manufacturer and the Lifan Xuanlang (3.345) a Ford Galaxy clone that is now the brand’s best-seller at home.

Previous month: China June 2017: Buick Excelle in the lead, market back up

One year ago: China July 2016: Tax cut triggers 26% gain, fastest pace in 3.5 years

Full July 2017 Top 76 All-brands and Top 426 All-models below.

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China June 2017: Exclusive imported models data now available

Lincoln sells almost as many Continental in China as it does in the U.S. 

* See the Top 110 best-selling imported models in China by clicking on the title *

Correction: Hybrid sales are now added to totals, making the Lexus ES the #1 import.

After a 1.5 year-hiatus, very rare imported models data for China is now available for the month of June 2017. BSCB is working on bringing you both Full Year 2016 and H1 2017 data in the briefest delays, so stay tuned for more info. Chinese imports sales data is a very secretive part of the worldwide market representing over one million annual units (1.007.088 over the Full Year 2015). As it was the case for the Full Year 2015 data, no media outside of China has reported on these figures yet, and BSCB is the first to do so, in line with our pledge to improve coverage of the Chinese market.

The BMW X5 is the 2nd most popular import in China. Picture auto.ifeng.com

In June, the Top 100 best-selling imported models in China total 88.830 units which would indicate a total imports around 93.000 units for the month, confirming imports in 2017 will remain well above the one million mark despite the number of mass manufacturers not producing locally reducing each year: Renault, Acura, Land Rover, Jeep and Jaguar being some of the latest ones to inaugurate local production over the past couple of years. Comparing the June 2017 data to the FY2015 is a little far-fetched but this is all the comparison set we have for now.

The Porsche Macan is the 6th best-selling import in China in June. 

The Lexus ES (#4 in 2015) becomes the most popular import in the country, bettering its U.S. sales score and edging out the BMW X5, #1 in 2015 while in third place we have the Mercedes GLE which was only launched in late 2015. The BMW X3, Lexus RX, Porsche Macan and Cayenne round up the Top 7. In fact, the 14 best-selling imported models in China in June are all from premium brands with notably the BMW 7 Series at #9, Lexus NX at #10, Range Rover Sport at #11 and Mercedes S-Class at #12. The Toyota Land Cruiser (#15) and Nissan Patrol (#16) are the first “non-premium” models although they could both be considered premium given their price. The Subaru Forester could then nab that title at #17 overall. Subaru and Lexus are the last two large manufacturers not producing locally in China.

The Tesla Model X ranks inside the 20 best-selling imports in China in June. Picture soho.com

The most successful newcomer since the last sales data we had in FY2015 is, surprisingly, the Tesla Model X landing directly at #18 (the Model S is much lower at #33). The Jaguar F-Pace is the only other new intruder close to the Top 30, ranking at #31. Lincoln is showing it is making its mark on the Chinese market: on top of the MKC at #20 (#45 in 2015), the MKX at #29 (#118 in 2015) and the MKZ at #37 (#77 in 2015), the all-new Continental lurks at an outstanding 34th place, selling almost as much as it did in the U.S. during the same month… Notice also the Alfa Romeo Giulia (#65), Kia Niro (#93) and Maserati Levante (#102) on top of a couple of Mercedes SUVs yet to be produced locally.

The Ford F-150 has officially landed in China. 

Last but not least, this June 2017 ranking is bringing to life the new trend by U.S. manufacturers to try and leverage  the love of large American pickup trucks I witnessed in every single rural city in the country (See Chinese Photo Reports in the Special China tab, the 2016 Photo Reports are here). Instead of counting on private importers that priced the pickups out of most Chinese customers’ means, Ford, Ram and Toyota are now officially importing them into China. And this ranking proves it, with the F-150 landing at #73 in June, the Ram Pickup at #94 and the Toyota Tundra at #99.

Stay tuned for more imported sales data for China coming shortly.

Previous post: China Full Year 2015: Exclusive imported models ranking now available

Full June 2017 Top 110 imported models Ranking Table below.

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China LCV June 2017: Pickups up 14%, Nissan Navara lands

The Nissan Navara is now produced in China also. 

* See the Top 45 best-selling models by clicking on the title *

Thanks to our partnership with Chinese consultancy outlet Cedars, we can share with you today June LCV data for China. This month minivans, down 7% to 47.144 are back above Mini Trucks (aka Micro Pickups) down just 0.4% to 41.856 while Pickups continue to strongly recover at +14% to 31.331 units. Halfway through 2017, Mini Trucks are the leading segment at 314.097 deliveries (+10%), followed by Minivans at 307.237 (-21%) and Pickups at 192.895 (+18%).

Chana Star Minibus sales rally back up 109% year-on-year in June. 

The Wuling Mini Truck dominates the LCV ranking once again with sales surging 16% ,ahead of the Wuling Hongguang V (-13%) while both the Chana Star Mini Truck (+63%) and Minibus (+109%) rally back up above the Wuling Sunshine (-27%). The Great Wall Wingle 5, still by far the best-selling pickup, outpaces its segment’s growth with a 19% gain to end the month just under 6.000 sales. It is followed by the JMC Baodian (-11%), ZX Auto Gran Tiger (+4%) and JMC Yuhu (+39%). The big news this month in the Chinese LCV ranking is the arrival of the Nissan Navara as #10 pickup, now that local production has started.

Previous month: China LCV May 2017: Pickups confirm rebound at +13%

One year ago: China LCV June 2016: Pickup sales surge 36%

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China June 2017: Focus on the All-new models

The much-awaited WEY VV7 makes its first appearance in the Chinese charts in June. 

Today we pay special attention to the new locally-produced launches in China so you stay aware of the latest development in the fastest-evolving car market in the world. In June, the Chinese market is back into positive territory and fittingly, the number of new launches goes from just three last month to eight. If you thought Chinese carmakers had exhausted their SUV opportunities now that they hold almost 60% of the segment, think again. This month, all new launches are Chinese and five of them are SUVs!

1. Leopaard CS9: 3.334 sales

Changfeng Leopaard has waited over two years to add a smaller sibling to the very successful CS10 that put the brand on the map. The brand is on a roll, with the CS10 posting its three largest monthly volumes in the past five months, and the CS9 already starts with the highest volume of all newcomers this month. Double that and Leopaard will be happy with the launch. At 4.315m long and priced from 76.800 to 116.800 yuan (US$11.300-17.300), the CS9 enters an extremely crowded marketplace and competes with the likes of the Haval H2, Soueast DX3, Changan CS35 and BAIC Senova X55.

It is powered by a 1.5L 122 hp Mitsubishi engine coupled with a five-speed manual or a CVT, with a 150hp 1.5T scheduled also. But the main attraction of the CS9 is its 12 inch touch screen, the biggest in its segment, that gives the cockpit an air of Tesla. Given the momentum the Leopaard brand is enjoying at the moment and its roots as sturdy Mitsubishi Pajero rebadges, the CS9 will – as it was the case for the CS10 – enjoy a widespread success across the nation, whether it be in the cities or the countryside. If it doesn’t cannibalise the CS10 (89.800-146.800 yuan), the CS9 could hit an even higher mark. We fix the success bar at 6.000 monthly units.

Bar for success: 6.000 monthly sales

2. JAC Refine S7: 3.203 sales

Adding to the S2mini, the S2, S3 and S5, JAC launches the Refine S7 SUV this month. If we described below Leopaard being on an upward trend, the complete opposite is true for JAC, down a harsh 40% year-on-year over the First Half of 2017. The brand is therefore in need of new models fast, but this S7 might be a little too big to generate the volumes that could reverse the downward spiral the brand has fallen into. The S7 is logically the largest SUV launched so far by JAC but this won’t last long as there are even larger ones in the works. Working for it, the Refine S7 sports a spectacular front design and a very original interior.

JAC Refine S7 interior. Picture autohome.com.cn

At 4.80m long, coming in 5- or 7-seat options and priced from 97.800 to 173.800 yuan (US$ 14.450 – 25.700), the Refine S7 competes with blockbusters such as the Haval H6 – the overall SUV segment leader, the Geely Boyue, Roewe RX5 and Changan CS75. This should lift the hopes for Refine S7 volumes pretty high, however JAC’s specialty until now has been with much smaller vehicles such as the tremendously successful – until this year- Refine S3. It remains to be seen whether the brand can extend this success to larger vehicles. The engines are reasonably powerful: a 174hp 1.5T and a 190hp 2.0T, both coupled with a six-speed manual or DCT, repackaging the engine lineup of the Refine A60 sedan.

Bar for success: 7.500 monthly sales

3. WEY VV7: 3.166 sales

It’s finally here. Last November at the Guangzhou Auto Show, Great Wall Motors revealed WEY, its new premium SUV brand positioned above Haval. Its ambitions were to compete with Lexus, Infiniti, Lincoln and Volvo, however this first offering sets the bar a lot lower as we’ll see further down. But first a bit of trivia. The WEY brand name unabashedly refers to Wei Jianjun, the founder of Great Wall Motors. It also refers to the State of Wei, an ancient Chinese state during the Warring States period (475-221 BC) which led to the Qin state’s victory as the first unified Chinese empire known as the Qin dynasty. Great Wall’s headquarters are located in Baoding in the Hebei Province which was once part of the State of Wei. Great Wall is using the old Wade Giles Romanisation system that spells Wei, Wey and Baoding, Paoting – hence that word also appearing on the logo which represents the flagpole in front of the local government house of Baoding City.

Very small touchscreen for a “premium” brand

The much-awaited first WEY nameplate is the VV7. It comes in basic (VV7c) and sporty (VV7s) versions, with prices ranging from 167.800 to 188.800 yuan (US$24.800-27.900). This is where the WEY brand starts to feel a lot less premium than its ambitions. This price range positions it right into Haval H7 territory (149.800-193.800 yuan), below the H8 (188.800 start) and the H9 (209.800 start). Among Chinese competitors it goes against the GAC Trumpchi GS8 (163.800-259.800) admittedly much larger, the Borgward BX5 (149.800-216.800) and the Qoros 5 (139.900-194.900). Local publication Autohome.com.cm pits it against the much cheaper Zotye T700 (106.800-155.800) as a valid alternative in terms of sophistication… As for foreign competitors in price, they range from the Nissan Qashqai (139.800-189.800), Kia Sportage (144.800-189.800), Peugeot 3008 (140.700-207.700), Mitsubishi Outlander (159.800-223.800), Honda CR-V (169.800-259.800) and Toyota RAV4 (179.800-269.800). Hardly premium brands although a fight with the mainstream foreigners may be all Great Wall was after after all. For comparison, the similar-sized SUVs by brands listed by WEY as its competitors are for the Infiniti QX30 249.800-389.800, the Lincoln MKC 298.800-458.800 and the Lexus NX 318.000-599.000.

At 4.749m long, the VV7 is built on an extended version of the new Haval H6 plaform, itself an updated variant of an old platform that underpinned the previous generation H6. In terms of engine, the VV7 utilises the same 230hp 2.0T as the H7/H7L. So the last advantage the VV7 has over the “bread and butter” Haval brand is its looks, but they are dangerously similar to the new H6. A lot of confusion, that WEY is decided to dissipate by selling WEY models in a completely separate dealer network. The big question will be to what extend WEY will cannibalise the existing Haval range. In June, only the H6 (35.171) and H2 (11.098) were above the VV7 (3.166), while the H7 (-41%), H5 (-32%), H8 (+72%) and H9 (+18%) fell way behind. It’s therefore a pretty solid start for a new brand, but Haval will want to reach higher targets.

Bar for success: 7.000 monthly sales

4. SWM X3: 1.676 sales

SWM launched its very first nameplate, the X7 SUV, back in September 2016 and has since found almost 55.000 new homes, a very solid success for a completely new brand. SWM is hoping to replicate this success with the smaller X3 SUV, looking like a cross with an MPV and a more modern Dongfeng somehow, pointing its bonnet in the cheap 7-seater SUV segment. Priced from 59.900 to 82.900 yuan (US$8,850 – 12.250), it competes with the likes of the Bisu T5, Changan CX70, Beijing Huansu S3, Lifan Myway and Dongfeng SX6. We could also add the Baojun 730 which, although an MPV, has variants that mimic SUVs the same way this X3 does. The X7 culminated at 7.168 units last December and the X3 will be the perfect test to see whether the brand can expand exponentially, launching more successful models one after the other. Given the scores of the Changan CX70 (pb 15.225) and the BAIC Huansu S3 (pb 20.868), this segment’s potential has clearly not been exhausted and hasn’t been invaded by dozens of offers either. Conservatively, we will put the X3 bar for success at roughly 60% of the X7’s personal best.

Bar for success: 4.500 monthly sales

5. Dongfeng Junfeng ER30: 1.000 sales

Dongfeng has launched a new EV brand, Junfeng, which local publications can’t seem to agree whether full-blown brand or a sub-brand, a subtle distinction as always in China. Launched at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2017, the ER30 is based on the very slow selling Venucia R30, itself based on the 2010 Nissan March. The Junfeng logo is a reworked Donfeng badge with a blue dot in the middle (in China blue means green). The ER30 appears elevated in the manner of a crossover. It is powered by a 80hp electric motor for a 115 km/h top speed. Autonomy is 250km. The ER30 is built in cooperation with SKIO with the ER30 listed under the skio.cn website as well as the diandong.com website. Confusing? Welcome to China!

Bar for success: 2.500 monthly sales

6. Chana Oushang A800: 549 sales

The only new MPV to enter the Chinese sales charts this month, the Chana Oushang A800 is hoping to build on the tremendous success of the Chana Oushang which sold 170.511 units since its launch in December 2015 but has fallen below 6.000 units over the past three months. While the Oushang was priced between 56.900 and 70.900 yuan (US$8.400-10.500), the A800 starts where the Oushang ends: from 69.900 to 119.900 (US$10.300-17.700). The A800 is 4.81m long and is powered by a choice of 125hp 1.6 and 154hp 1.5T. In fact, the A800 is a redesigned Changan Linmax, launched last February, same size, using the same platform and engine. The Linmax has peaked so far at 5.232 (last May) while the Oushang has a personal best of 16.070 in January 2017. Autohome.com.cn sees it compete with the cheaper Baojun 730, the Dongfeng SX6 and the Baojun 310W (for wagon)… In this context, the bar for success has been placed in line with the Linmax rather than the Oushang.

Bar for success: 5.000 monthly sales

7. GAC Trumpchi GS7: 50 sales

An instant blockbuster with just under 60.000 sales in 8 months and a pb of 10.032 last March, the GAC Trumpchi GS8 7-seater has redefined success in the large Chinese SUV segment, and has stabilised at a very high level. 8 months after its introduction, GAC Trumpshi launches the identically-designed but smaller GS7 5-seater. Priced from 155.800 to 229.800 yuan (US$23.000-33.950), only marginally lower than the GS8 (163.800-259.800), Autohome.com.cn has it compete against the Haval H7 (149.800-193.800), Roewe RX5 (99.800-186.800), Zotye SR9 (108.800-169.800) and the Haval H9 (209.800-272.800).

GAC Trumpchi GS7 and GS8 comparison.

A frequent stake currently triggered by the multitude of SUV launches by Chinese brands is cannibalisation. Will the GS7 kill the GS8 the same way the edgy Baojun 510 annihilated the dated 560? It’s unlikely as their design are virtually identical. This will be a good test of popularity for 5-seater SUVs vs. 7-seater. With the relaxation of the 1-child policy in China, 7-seaters are becoming the norm, so this GS7 may fall short. The GS7 shares the same engines as the GS8: a 201hp 2.0T coupled with a six-speed auto. The GS7 is a 4WD called i4WD.

Bar for success: 6.500 monthly sales

Also new this month: BAIC changed the way it reports EV sales, now featuring EU-Series, EV-Series and EX-Series, and Hawtai launched the EV160 small electric hatch.

China First Half 2017: Market slows down growth from 9.2% to 1.6%

Baojun has a new blockbuster in its hands: the 510, but it killed the 560. 

* See the Top 82 All-brands and Top 531 All-models by clicking on the title *

One year ago, the Chinese passenger car market was up a robust 9.2% and improved further over the second half of the year. This time, the rise of the purchase tax for vehicles of 1.6L and under has stopped the market in its tracks. With a significant amount of sales pulled forward to the end of 2016, the perspectives for this start of 2017 weren’t bright. Still, the market is up – granted, by a meagre 1.6% – when we could have expected a drop. It did decline in February, April and May. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Chinese passenger car sales total 11.253.000 units vs. 11.042.000 a year ago, and still beats a record. Sales of passenger cars of 1.6L and below are down 2.6% to 7.697.000, representing 68.4% of the passenger car market which is a 3 percentage point-drop. Commercial vehicles fare a lot better with a 17.4% year-on-year gain to 2.101.000 units. As a result, the total Chinese market is up 3.8% to a record 13.354.000 units.

The new Tiguan helped Volkswagen stay in positive in China so far in 2017.

Looking at segments in detail, SUVs continue to be the engine of the Chinese market growth but significantly reduce their gain from 42% a year ago to 17.7% this time at 4.530.200 units. All other segments are in decline, with sedans down 3% to 5.401.000 and MPVs down 16% to 1.010.600. New energy vehicles are up 14.4% to 195.000 sales with pure electric vehicles up 26.2% to 160.000 and plug-in hybrids up 19.7% to 35.000. A very interesting fact is that the market share of Chinese brands increases in the two largest passenger car segments. Overall, sales of Chinese-branded passenger cars are up 4.3% year-on-year to 4.940.000, accounting for 43.9% of the market, up 1.1 percentage point (pp). Chinese-branded sedans are up 0.8% to 1.064.000 or 19.7% of the market, up 0.8pp. The most impressive result is in the booming SUV segment where Chinese brands are up 24.4% to reach a best-ever 59.6% market share, up 3.6pp thanks to 2.700.000 units. Finally Chinese-branded MPVs are down 20.8% to 859.000 units or 85% share, down 5.4pp.

It’s a nightmarish First Half of 2017 for Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia.

We have access to limited manufacturers retail data over the period (this data differs from our data tables that are wholesales excluding imports). The Volkswagen Group confirms it is the #1 in China despite seeing its deliveries slip 1.9% to 1.826.000 units. General Motors also declines at -2.5% to 1.765.828 vehicles. Ford Motor is faring a lot worse at -7% to 537.522 units. Among Japanese carmakers, Nissan Motor keeps the crown with a 6.7% increase to 650.525 but is now threatened by Honda Motor surging 19% to 644.167 while Toyota Motor is up 5.4% to 624.000. The victims of this First Half of 2017 are without a doubt the two Korean carmakers impacted by China’s diplomatic feud with South Korea triggered by U.S. anti-missile defense deployed in the country. Both Hyundai Motor and Kia Motor tumble 47% year-on-year over the period.

BMW bypasses Audi to become the #1 premium carmaker in China, but Mercedes lurks just behind. 

The main event in the premium race is the paltry performance of Audi, #1 for decades up until this year, handicapped by a boycott of its dealers unhappy about plans for a second distribution channel for the brand. These plans have since been postponed and Audi reclaimed the #1 premium spot in June but over the First Half of the year the picture is very different: BMW manages to take a slim advantage thanks to deliveries up 18% to 293.280 units, but Mercedes is aggressively catching up at a flamboyant +35% to 292.679 units. Audi lags far behind at 254.785 sales, down 12%. It will be very difficult for the brand to reclaim the #1 spot by year end. Note that locally-made wholesales still show Audi (-9%) above Mercedes (+50%) and BMW (+30%) as the latter two significantly rely on imports. Meanwhile Volvo, owned by local manufacturer Geely, is up a fantastic 28% to 51.914 units.

The Boyue helps Geely up 87% and Chinese SUVs reach 59.6% market share. 

Now a look at the China-made wholesales brands ranking (our data table). Volkswagen continues to be ultra-dominant, following the market at +2% to 1.47m units. That’s still well over double the sales of any other brand in the country. Honda surges 26% to 650.730 units to rank #2 overall, bypassing Hyundai (-43%), Toyota (+9%), Buick (-3%) and ChangAn (-6%). In 6th place we have the performance of the year so far: Geely up 87% and 9 spots to tease Changan for the title of most popular Chinese passenger car brand, a title it should hold by year end. Geely is reaping the fruits of a completely renewed range and three new best-selling SUVs: the Boyue, Emgrand GS and Vision SUV as well as strong selling sedans such as the Emgrand EC7, Emgrand GL and Vision.

The GS4 and new GS8 (pictured) lift GAC Trumpchi sales up 51% so far in 2017.

The Nissan brand follows at #7, up 15% ahead of Baojun up two spots and 22%, compensating for the falls of the 730 MPV and 560 SUV with the arrivals of the 310 hatch and 510 SUV. Haval drastically slows its galloping progress with a timid 4% gain as its range is starting to age. Its parent company, Great Wall Motors, is up 2.3% to 460.743. Rounding out the Top 10, Ford is down 10% and 3 spots to #10. Beyond, Wuling suffers at -12% (excluding LCVs), GAC Trumpchi shoots up 51% and 6 spots to #15 thanks to the continued success of the GS4 and the thunderous arrival of the GS8. In order of ranking, Roewe (+141%), Jeep (+106%), Cadillac (+98%), Soueast (+44%), MG (+61%), Leopaard (+36%), Mitsubishi (+166%), Renault (+357%), JMC (+486%) and Zhi Dou (+445%) post some of the largest year-on-year gains in market.

Renault has already reached 63% of its annual sales target for 2017. 

But not all Chinese brands register strong improvements over the period, and some should start to seriously worry, such as Beijing Auto (BAIC, BAW) down 26%, BYD down 15%, JAC down a harsh 40%, Zotye down 25%, Haima down 29% and Brilliance down 53%. For a handful of foreigners, 2017 is shaping up as the year to forget: wholesales put Hyundai at -43% and Kia at -56%, Peugeot is down 37%, Suzuki down 34% and Citroen down an abysmal 68%, ending H1 only 2.678 sales above newcomer and fellow countryman Renault, itself already hitting 63% of its annual sales target for 2017 (59.000).

SWM is the most popular of the nine new brands that entered the Chinese market since last year. 

A testimony of the dynamism of the Chinese market, we welcome no less than nine all-new brands in the H1 2017 ranking. They are led by SWM punching above 30.000 sales just as a second model hit dealerships, followed by Cowin just under 29.000 sales with three nameplates, Hanteng at roughly 27.500 with just one model, Borgward just under 22.000 with two, Bisu above 16.000 with three, Jaguar with 8.500 XFL, Acura with 4.500 CDX, Horki at 3.700 and Great Wall’s new “premium” brand WEY just under 3.200 units – all sold in June.

The Roewe RX5 is the 2nd best-selling new nameplate over the period with over 100.000 sales.

Now onto the models ranking, where the three best-sellers all lose volume, accelerating the fragmentation of the market. Both the Wuling Hongguang and the VW Lavida drop a heavy 11% and are only separated by 5.000 sales – the Hongguang ranked #1 only in February while the Lavida ranked 1st four times – with the Haval H6 falling a more restrained – but still surprising – 6%. The heroes of the period are below: the Buick Excelle rallies up 19% to #4 and ranked #1 in June, while the GAC Trumpchi GS4, now in its third year, shows no sign of running out of puff with a 20% surge and could soon go tease the Haval H6 for the title of #1 SUV in China.

The Haval H2S helps the brand stay in positive territory so far in 2017. 

The Nissan Sylphy also shows great strength in 6th place at +23%, overtaking the Toyota Corolla (+8%). The VW Tiguan, finally helped by the new generation, has been instrumental in keeping Volkswagen in positive over the period with a 43% surge lifting it to #8 overall and #2 VW model above the perennial strong sellers Jetta (-14%), Sagitar (-17%) and Santana (-15%). At #11, the Baojun 730 is now the brand’s best-seller despite a 9% drip, as we see a complete reshuffle of its sales order: hero of H1 2016, the Baojun 560 has been completely cannibalised (-48% and down from #5 to #23) by the brand’s new, edgier SUV, the 510. The 510 is the most popular newcomer over the period, landing directly at #21 with just under 103.000 sales.

The Fengguang 580 is now Dongfeng’s best-seller at home. 

The booming SUV segment has seen a lot of changes atop its sales charts: below the H6, GS4 and Tiguan, we now find the Geely Boyue up 548% on its launch period last year to rank #13 overall. The Boyue is now the brand’s best-seller at home, surpassing the Emgrand EC7 (+9%). The Buick Envision has reached its peak at #5 SUV and #15 overall (+4%), distancing the Haval H2 (+61% thanks to the H2S variant), Changan CS75 (+10%), Baojun 510 and Roewe RX5 (100.091 sales), the 2nd best-selling newcomer over the period. Notice also the Dongfeng Fengguang 580 becoming the brand’s best-seller, the Honda Civc rallying up 269% thanks to the new model, the Baojun 310 landing at #31, the Chevrolet Cavalier at #33 and the Chery Arrizo 5 up 91% to #43 and #3 Chinese sedan below the Geely Emgrand EC7 (#16) and Geely Vision (#38).

Previous post: China June 2017: Buick Excelle in the lead, market back up

One year ago: China First Half 2016: Tax cut, SUV wave spur 8% gain to record 12.8m

Full H1 2017 Top 82 All-brands and Top 531 All-models vs. Full H1 2016 figures below.

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