China imports August 2023: Audi (+28.5%), Land Rover (+28.2%) impress in market off -17.8%

Audi A5 sales are up 176.3% year-on-year in August.

Sales of new imported sink -17.8% year-on-year in August to 60,602 units. This leads to a year-to-date tally down -8.1% to 469,840. Lexus (-6.7%) resists better than the market and threepeats at #1. Yet this is not enough to snap the YTD lead off Mercedes (-23.1%), still leader by 1,700 sales. BMW (-25.7%) is also in difficulty at #4 whereas Audi (+28.5%) stuns at #4. Land Rover (+28.2%) and Toyota (+22.7%) also shine whereas Mini (-55.6%), Porsche (-45.7%) and Volkswagen (-44.3%) all freefall. 

Model-wise, the Lexus LS (+13.6%) defies the negative market to lead the charts again, selling 3.7 times more than any other imported nameplate and cementing its YTD domination. The Mercedes GLE (-11.5%) returns to the 2nd place it holds year-to-date, dislodging the Lexus RX (-40.9%) in a rut. The Lexus NX (-7.1%) and Porsche Panamera (-20.8%) round out the Top 5. Below, the Audi A5 (+176.3%) and Land Rover Defender (+70.2%) score fantastic gains, the Volvo XC90 (-3.5%) and BMW 4 Series (-4.8%) also beat the market yet are still in negative and the Mercedes S-Class (-23.6%) skids.

Previous month: China imports July 2023: Audi, Land Rover defy sinking market (-24.8%)

One year ago: China imports August 2022: Porsche, Jeep shine in market off -6%

Full August 2023 Top 35 All brands and Top 150 All models below.