China LCV Full Year 2016: Wuling Mini Truck leads, pickups up 11%

Wuling Mini Truck

* See the Top 80 best-selling models by clicking on the title *

Consult 35 years worth of Chinese Historical Data here

Thanks to our partnership with Chinese consultancy outlet Cedars we can share with you detailed light commercial vehicles data for China over the Full Year 2016, with complete minivan, pickup and mini truck data by model available as well as selected light truck/van data sourced with LMC Automotive. Overall, it’s been another year in negative for LCV sales in China: after a 8% drop in 2015 the market slides 11% to 3.233.420 units according to LMC total figures. In the detail (Cedars data), the minivan freefall continues at -37% to 620.650 units, with sales transferring to the mini truck category (the pickup variants of minivans) up 9% to 500.282. But the main event in 2016 is the bouncing back of one tonne pickups – a segment that had suffered greatly over the past few years: up 11% to 346.892, due to a loosening up of legislation forbidding them to enter main cities (more details on this change here).

Huanghai N1 Series – one tonne pickup sales are up 11% in 2016. 

Illustrating the ongoing sales transfer towards mini trucks (the Chinese label for micro pickups) – a trend we at BSCB started flagging back in April 2015 – the Wuling Mini Truck is the best-selling light commercial in China for the second year running with sales up 4% to 251.981. If the Foton Light Truck (+2%) remains in 2nd place, the Wuling Hongguang V is now the country’s best-selling commercial minivan with deliveries going against the grain at +2% to 197.184. Wuling has managed to upgrade its Sunshine (-41%) and Rongguang (-42%) owners to a slightly more upmarket model with the Hongguang V. The JAC Light Truck (+9%) gains two spots to #4 while the JMC Light Truck is down 11% but up two ranks also to #7.

The Wuling Hongguang V is the best-selling commercial minivan in China in 2016. December newcomers: the Wuling Sunshine V and Leopaard CT7

In the reborn one tonne pickup aisle, the Great Wall Wingle 5 remains sovereign and returns inside the LCV Top 10 despite deliveries down 3% in contrast with the segment. The JMC Baodian also drops at -12% as well as the ZX Auto Grand Tiger (-10%) but below this trio most pickups gain ground: the Dongfeng Rich (+1%), Great Wall Wingle 6 (+57%), JMC Yuhu (+94%), JAC Pickup (+96%), Foton Tunland (+5%) and Huanghai N2 (+320%) all post sales increases. In December, we welcome two important newcomers in the ranking: the Wuling Sunshine V totaling 4.016 sales for the year – Wuling trying to replicate the success of the Hongguang V by offering a more upmarket Sunshine, and the striking Leopaard CT7 pickup with 655 units.

Previous month: China LCV November 2016: Discover the Top 45 models (BSCB Exclusive)

Previous year: China LCV Full Year 2015: Sales transfer to mini pickups boosts Wuling Mini Truck

Two years ago: China Full Year 2014: Growth cools to 7% to record 23.5 million units

Full Year 2016 Top 80 models vs. Full Year 2015 figures below.

Full December 2016 Top 55 models ranking table below.