China Imports November 2019: Tesla Model 3 lifts volume record to just under 5.000 sales in stable market (-0.8%)

The Tesla Model 3 breaks its Chinese monthly volume record in November.

Complete Chinese imports data is now available for November, BSCB being the only media outside of China to report on these figures monthly. The market stabilises once again in November at -0.8% to 99.667 units, in line with the year-to-date volume down -1% to 1.025.870. Lexus (+3.8%) posts a 10th consecutive monthly win ahead of BMW (+3.5%) and Mercedes (-22.3%) once again in distress, replicating the October and YTD podium. Tesla (+1148%) scores an extravagant gain thanks to the Model 3 (see below) and crops past the 6.000 sales mark – this is however not the brand’s all time record volume (8.584 last March). Toyota (+50.4%), Land Rover (+4.7%) and Volkswagen (+0.4%) are the only additional Top 10 brands in positive just as Audi (-31.9%) and Lincoln (-22.7%) implode. Further down, Dodge (+572%), Mitsubishi (+126.8%) and Rolls Royce (+48.7%) stand out.

Can the VW Touareg threaten the BMW X5 in China?

Model-wise, the Lexus ES (+5.2%) remains untouchable in pole position, above 8.000 monthly units for the 5th time in the past 8 months. In 2nd place and up 41 spots on October, the Tesla Model 3 stops just a few units shorts of 5.000 sales in China, breaking its volume record here and ascending to #8 year-to-date. The BMW X5 (-18.9%) suffers but stays at #3, distancing a slew of 5 additional luxury SUV led by the Lexus NX (+16.9%) and Toyota Land Cruiser (+65%) wth the Porsche Macan (+21.2%) also very strong. The Mercedes S-Class (+21.7%) also shines in the remainder of the Top 10. Below, the VW Touareg (+175.9%), Mitsubishi Pajero (+127.1%), BMW X4 (+62.6%) and Volvo XC90 (+47.5%) are among the most dynamic in the Top 30, while the BMW X7 (#28), Lincoln Nautilus (#33), Lexus UX (#40) and Audi Q8 (#56) are the most popular recent launch below the Model 3. This month we welcome the Audi e-Tron at #89, the BMW X3M at #132 and the BMW X4M at #149.

Previous month: China Imports October 2019: Porsche (+4.4%), Toyota (+7.4%) survive in market back to hell: -17.8%

One year ago: China Imports November 2018: Lexus and Porsche shine, Tesla struggles in market down -4.8%

Full November 2019 Top 50 All-brands and Top 212 All-models below.