China August 2012: Ford Focus leads, VW Lavida back in the game

Ford Focus

* NOW UPDATED with the Top 277 All-models Ranking! Click on title to see *

For only the second time ever after last June, the Ford Focus takes the lead of the Passenger Cars ranking in China with 25,627 sales and is now up two spots to #5 in the 2012 year-to-date ranking with 153,929 units. The Chevrolet Sail is down one rank to 2nd place with 24,018 units, a position it also holds year-to-date at 185,315 sales, catching up a little bit of its gap with the Buick Excelle, best-seller in 2012 so far with 191,259 units and #3 in August at 22,881 sales.

VW Lavida

About to undergo a complete make-over, the antediluvian VW Jetta, still based on the 1984 model, is up one spot on July to #4 with 21,809 sales and resists at an amazing third place year-to-date. 3 more Volkswagens follow: the Sagitar delivers another outstanding month at #5 with 21,776 units and is now #17 year-to-date, the Bora is up one spot to #6 and 20,575 sales and the Lavida, after a couple of months at low rankings and with the new generation of the model now in dealerships across the country, is up 15 ranks to #7 and 20,239 units.

BYD F3 Plus

In fact, there are no less than 9 Volkswagens in the Top 20 with the Passat at #11, Magotan at #13, Polo at #17, Tiguan at #19 and Golf at #20… Once again the Great Wall Haval H3/H5 is the best-selling Chinese model at #16 with 14,836 sales, followed this time by the BYD F3, potentially boosted by the new generation and up 12 spots to #23, the Chery Tiggo up 5 to #28, the Emgrand EC7 down 6 to #31, the Great Wall Voleex C30 up 3 to #33, the Chery QQ down 6 to #36 and the Chery Fulwin 2 up one to #38.

Hyundai Elantra Langdong

Now counted separately from the previous generation ‘Yuedong’ (#8), the all-new Hyundai Elantra Langdong makes its first solo appearance in the ranking at #21 with a shiny 11,613 sales. Notice also the Chevrolet Malibu up a massive 89 spots to #56, the Great Wall Haval M4 up to #64, the Baojun 630 back up 48 ranks to #80, the Mercedes C-Class up 34 to #86 and the Venucia D50 up to #96.

ChangAn Yuexiang V3

Brilliance H230

Along with the Hyundai Elantra Langdong, there are two newcomers in the Chinese ranking this month: the ChangAn Yuexiang  V3 lands directly at #132 with 2,217 units and the Brilliance H230 ranks #162 with 1,530 sales. Among recent launches, the Zotye Z300 is up 67% and 25 spots on July to a best-ever #123, the Yema F10 is up 192% and 29 ranks to #196 and the Yema F99 is up 69% and 13 spots to #232.

Previous post: China 7 months 2012: Chevrolet Sail and VW Passat big winners

Previous month: China July 2012: Hyundai Elantra and VW Sagitar shine

One year ago: China August 2011: Buick Excelle and VW Passat impress

Full August 2012 Top 277 All-models Ranking Table below.