The Hongqi HS7 has arrived. After detailing national trends in our June 2019 wholesales update, it is now time to focus on the all-new locally-produced launches for the month, so you can make sure you are updated on the fastest-evolving automotive market in the world. Note these updates are based…
Honda manages to swim upstream in China, and the facelifted XR-V will continue the trend in H2. It's a Semester to forget for new light vehicle wholesales in China, down a ghastly -12.4% year-on-year over the First Half of 2019 to 12.323.000 units. This cancels four years of growth, represents…
The new Aion S EV helps GAC sales up 28% in a market down -9.6%. The loop is looped: with a -9.6% year-on-year decline in June, the Chinese wholesales market has now been down for a full year or 12 consecutive months, something that hadn't happened in at least 30…
The Foton Light Truck teases the Wuling Mini Truck for the #1 LCV spot this month. Whereas it had managed to hold up extremely well so far this year, the Chinese Light Commercial Vehicle market falls off a cliff in May at -15% to just 250.843 units, tilting the year-to-date…
It's thumbs up from me on the BYD Tang EV. I kept the best for last, and this final iteration of this China Test Drives 2019 series following the Shanghai Auto Show details the most impressive car I got to drive this year: the BYD Tang EV. BYD (for Build…
The Baojun RS-5 in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia. Last year we test drove the extremely successful Baojun 510 and 530, and in 2019 SAIC-GM's low-cost brand has taken a complete u-turn with a semi-premium stand at the Shanghai Auto Show in April in opposite trajectory with its heritage and DNA. The truth…
Geely Binyue in Kunming, Yunnan. One year ago I tested the Geely Boyue and was thoroughly impressed by its almost rally car-like handling thanks to particularly brazen sales people. I did not expect that from the "soccer mum SUV" the Boyue is. Since, Geely has released the smaller Binyue to…
Bestune T77 in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia. We interviewed the Bestune team at the Shanghai Auto Show last April to try and uncover the secrets behind the success of FAW's new brand, and the logical next step was to test drive its unique model for now, the T77 SUV, which one…
Dongfeng Aeolus AX7 in Dali, Yunnan. We continue on our series of Chinese dealership test drives with the second Dongfeng this year, this time from the Aeolus sub-brand, a Westernised name for the Chinese label Fengshen. Note that it may as well be a different brand altogether so much so…
VW Lavida in Lijiang, Yunnan. After test driving the Wuling Hongguang, #1 in China from 2013 to 2017, the logical next step is to get a feel of 2018's overall leader the VW Lavida. I was able to do exactly that in Lijiang in the Yunnan province earlier this year. Originally launched…
Wuling Hongguang in Dali, Yunnan. It's time for me to test drive the car that is responsible for bringing mass mobility to an entire nation: the Wuling Hongguang. Originally launched in 2010, no less than 4 million of them have been sold in China since, dominating the country's sales charts…
Dongfeng Fengon ix5 in Kunming We continue on our Chinese dealership test drives with the Dongfeng Fengon ix5, previously Fengguang and aka Glory outside of China. This is Dongfeng's first coupe SUV, a red hot format in China at the moment that seems to be the perfect blend of SUV…
Jetour X70 in Dali. After reporting on my rental Peugeot 301 and Hyundai Celesta, it is now time to relate my visits to Chinese dealerships and all the quick test drives that resulted. From 5 in 2018, the number of new Chinese cars I was able to get my hands…
Our Hyundai Celesta near Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan. After trying out a Peugeot 301 in Inner Mongolia, we now fly the entire width of China to land in Kunming, the capital of the Yunnan province. We will attempt to visit the province's highlights during a 1.263 km loop with…
Toyota Tundra in front of the Potala Palace, Lhasa. After Shanghai, Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia and Kunming, Dali and Lijiang in Yunnan, we finish our Chinese exploration following the Shanghai Auto Show on a high note. After many years of anticipation and missed opportunities because of how convoluted the permit process is, I…