China LCV July 2015: Wuling Mini Truck confirms leadership

The Wuling Mini Truck now rules the Chinese LCV market.

* See the Top 10 best-selling models by clicking on the title *

Thanks to LMC Automotive, we can study the Light Commercial Vehicle market in China, the segment hardest hit by the “readjustment” Chinese new vehicle sales are undergoing at the moment. LCV sales are down a harsh 26% year-on-year in July to just 244.853 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 2.182.350 units, down 27% on 2014 when 2.978.320 units were sold between January and July. That’s almost 800.000 Chinese LCVs gone in smoke in the space of a year. Not all LCV sub-segments are hit though, and July once again illustrate the new trend towards mini and small pickups: the Wuling Mini Truck goes completely against the grain with sales up another 29% year-on-year to 20.118 and now up 13% year-to-date. Similarly, the Foton Light Truck is up 13% in 2nd place.

Flash in the pan? The Wuling Hongguang V is down 53% on March.

Reversely, microvans are going out of fashion faster than it takes to write these lines: the Wuling Rongguang is down 31% and the Wuling Sunshine literally implodes at -62% and just 12.256 sales vs. 32.319 a year ago. Only the Chana Mini Bus resists somewhat at – 9%. The third LCV trend we have observed, from microvans towards larger commercial vans, is now in question: the Wuling Hongguang V signs its 4th consecutive month-on-month decline, down to 14.001 sales in July, less than half its peak figure of 30.003 units hit in March.

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Previous month: China LCV June 2015: Wuling Mini Truck takes off at +66%

One year ago: China July 2014: Now updated with Top 10 LCVs

Full July 2015 Top 10 models Ranking Table below.