A report from Automotive World detailed the sales performance of the top 20 automotive brands in China, sourced from LMC Automotive, in the first quarter of 2015. It shows that while foreign marques still ruled the roost in the Middle Kingdom, the domestic brands are catching up dramatically, with two in the top 10.
At the top of the list sits Volkswagen, even though sales have actually gone down from last year – it sold 230,417 units in March (down 8%) and 784,352 units in the first quarter of this year (down 1%). It is also the only brand to register a market share of over 10%, at 14.7%.
The real story is Changan, which slots just under Wolfsburg in the standings – sales shot up 34% in March over the previous year to 97,752 units, while first quarter sales soared by a staggering 58% to 303,934 units. The phenomenal sales increase has made Changan the fastest growing brand in China, with a market share that has risen from 3.6% at the end of last year to 5.7%.
Elsewhere, perennial Chinese favourite Buick snags fourth place behind Hyundai with a market share of 4.3%, sales staying level in March at 103,785 units and down 4% in the first quarter at 229,015 units. In sixth place is Toyota, which is facing a difficult period – sales have slid by 11% in March this year to 78,566 cars, while first quarter sales fell by 9% to 206,188 units; as a result, market share stands at 3.9%.
Slotting behind the Japanese juggernaut is Wuling, the GM-SAIC joint-venture brand. The second of the Chinese brands in the top 10, it muscles past Chevrolet with a market share of 3.7%, with March 2015 sales increasing 11% to 70,652 units; first quarter sales, however, have dropped by 6% to 196,742 units. Honda and Kia round up the top 10 with each having a 3.2% market share, and both registering double-digit growth in March (an impressive 20% in the case of Honda).
If you thought Toyota was having a bad time, Nissan fared worse – sales fell 12% in March to 65,576 units, while first quarter sales are 13% lower this year at 165,225 units. Market share has been reduced from 4.4% to just 3.1%, pushing Nissan off its previous fifth place and sending it plunging a whole six spots, the biggest drop of all the brands here.
Haval, meanwhile, is sure to be laughing all the way to the bank – Great Wall’s SUV brand registered a 94% increase in sales in March to 59,394 units and a 99% jump in the first quarter to 162,271 units; with a 3% market share, it sits in 12th place, five places higher than in 2014.
But by far the craziest numbers come from 17th-place BAIC (you may remember it as the Chinese brand looking to build EVs in Malaysia from July next year). How crazy? How about a 310% (!) increase in sales in March 2015 to 49,298 units, or a 199% increase in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2014, at 119,630 units? A 2.2% market share vaults it over BMW, Peugeot and Chery in the standings.
Overall, sales of passenger cars (which accounts for 82.5% of light vehicle sales) in China totalled 1,867,311 units in March, an increase of 12% over 2014, while first quarter sales went up 11% to 5,330,694 units.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
This cements Toyota’s rapidly falling reputation. It simply isn’t as good as the past, and worst still its executives are too hard headed and arrogant to realise the need for change.
You must be the hailat kimchi driver where I reject your offer of RM25k of your 2014 Kia.
The downfall of toyota is coming!!
Ha ha ha. Toyota already dying in China despite their cars better specced than Msian Toyota trash. Now we wait for Toyota to die in Msia.
Malaysians already now know how Toyota has been cheating people. Until today, even RM150k Camry got no VSC and only 2 airbags. Paultan already wrote long article how vital VSC is 3 years ago and yet UMW don’t care a damn for our lives.
Global price of Camry with 10 airbags and VSC is US$22,000. Besides VSC and 10 airbags, the global Camry has about 20 other safety features that is NOT in our Camry. These features are standard and free on the global Camry.
UMW don’t care about your life. you die or vegetable, they don’t care, janji untung lebih. they take out safety features to save cost. Yet, they charge us 3x the global price of US$22k. We buy for RM180k a heavily stripped down car. Same with Altis. Same with Vios.
Worse still, it is CKD and Made in Malaysia. The price is even cheaper. If US Toyota is sold at US22k and still make a profit, you can bet that UMW will get this car at country distributor price of US15k. CKD it, it will be US$12k (about RM40k). But they sell to Malaysians for RM180k.
Camry Hybrid even better. US$26k. Come to Malaysia no tax. But sold for RM175k
VGM is doing quite well… starting new branch, new Service centre, new PROMOTION some more…plus car sales increasing, which hitting the market
you want to see VW close down… slow slow wait and see la
DSG problem had mostly solve by changing the mineral oil. U should know it, if you drive VW too…
Well.. No car manufacture will give 10 years warranty la! dun stupid! you want you can ask for me, but if they dun give you also cannot say anything lol… better you don’t buy VW lor… then no other car is giving 10 year warranty.. then no need to buy and drive car lol…
I won’t sell my Kia for your bras and panties
True crap VW and Toyota all about lies and unsafe type build quality.
Proton are different world-class build quality better then bmw and volvo.
Stupid people only buy VW like china market.
Smart people buy Proton world class CEO DrM to global !!!
Other idiots…
Qoros selling more cars than Proton-Youngman in China.
The crap should b Proton! not VW!
stupid Proton brings me problem here problem there
my dad’s vw car also better than Proton!
if you’re a Proton supporter, then just go for your stupid Proton.. stop barking at here.
Behind the story:
China has very strong Anti-japenese campaign these few years..
this made VW climb up.
but 50% of VW sold @ China are those redesigned and built on the very old generation platform and engines..
Pity the Chinese there..
explain honda +20%.
Well.. VW is doing well here.. on april itself the increase in sales compared to March 2015
yup. vw sell cheap cars in china. old technology. and the anti japanese sentiment is also the reason.
VW don’t sell cheap car la!! They sell good car with high performance and advance technology!
Wow.Hyundai doing better than world nos 1 Toyota in China.
Perhaps,the Chinese are eating more kimchi now.
Sam Loo,can you explain why Hyundai outpaced Toyota in China? Is it because the top female vocalist, Voice of China 2014 Ms Zhang Bi Chen has introduced KOrean songs to China?
VW is nos 1 in China.I guess they must have plenty of spare parts.How come,in Bolehland,VW parts take 2 months to arrive? They come by tongkang or motorboat?
it depends.. last time.. now VW can transfer sparepart from Singapore.. I guess dont need to take long time…
The majority of VW sold in China is no different than the Toyota sold in Malaysia.
The power of China economy! Sells million car in a month alone, wonder about their salesman commission..sure a fat paycheck every month.
Proton either taken over by Great Wall Motor/HAVAL or by Volkswagen China to survive there.
Because they also have protection
All those companies are tongkat type of companies
VW is a very good car company. They are one of the company leading the directions for japanese to follow (copy)…
Now you know what VW Malaysia dont give a crap about owners in malaysia. Complain all you want, they just focus on china. Thats how insignificant malaysian VW owners are.
no la… I think VG they did.. they really improved compare to wat I can see in the past… I saw many owner quiet satisfied with the service that provided by VW recently & less complaint
i dont think so.. now VW ady make a lot of improvement. Example, TSC, 4S dealership and all the new car models performance are highly improved. Plus, vw service center did their best in solving gearbox issue previously.. so far now i heard no one is complaining over the gear box issue what…
VW doing well in China is because most of the cars sold there are Manual drive. Those who bought the auto versions are the ones that complained about the dsg reliability with the Govt.
In fact I have no problem with DSG reliability.. Really! I like COOL, NICE Performance in VW…. if I like, I guess China man also like!!! well.. plus improvement VW made in Malaysia market is add on value to bring sales for them