Chinese cars soar in Australia – new sales record in Jan 2021, overtook German, US cars for the first time!

Chinese cars soar in Australia – new sales record in Jan 2021, overtook German, US cars for the first time!

The sales of China-made cars have reached an unprecedented height in Australia. According to the country’s Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, a total of 4,198 vehicles imported from China were sold in January 2021, representing a whopping 156% increase over the same period last year.

This puts China in fourth place, with Japan still leading the chart with 29,275 units (29.6% increase). Thailand ranked second with 16,903 cars (down -6.1%), while South Korea is in third place with 11,516 vehicles (up 11.5%).

Vehicles sourced from Germany took a hit – just 3,078 vehicles from the country were sold (down -42%), putting it behind China for the first time. US-made cars came in sixth with 2,056 cars sold (down -38%).


Inset: 2021 MG ZS

Among the Chinese brands, MG and LDV (both owned by SAIC) saw the biggest increase in sales. The former recorded a 162% uptick in sales with 2,408 cars sold, up from 919 units it delivered in January 2020. It also narrowly missed the top 10 list (in terms of sheer sales volume) for January, coming in at 11th place.

Meanwhile, LDV sales practically doubled with 770 units sold, while GWM Haval sales rose 135% with 769 vehicles shifted. There you have it, folks. China is officially the fourth biggest source of motor vehicles in Australia, for the first month of the year anyway.

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Matthew H Tong

An ardent believer that fun cars need not be fast and fast cars may not always be fun. Matt advocates the purity and simplicity of manually swapping cogs while coping in silence of its impending doom. Matt's not hot. Never hot.

 

Comments

  • newme on Feb 03, 2021 at 12:16 pm

    Australia should pull up a lobster on China products.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 14
    • AutoFrenz (the original) on Feb 03, 2021 at 1:45 pm

      MG is still British..:they are buying British…same like Range Rover and Jaguar even though owned by indian Tata these vehicles are still British…now Great Wall is THE real chinese vehicle…anybody buying them…

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 75 Thumb down 3
      • Poor Australian on Feb 03, 2021 at 2:23 pm

        Australians are poor now. Can only afford non sellable cheap lobster. Want to discriminate but then buy china car. Apa ini?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 1
        • PEJUANG on Feb 03, 2021 at 5:43 pm

          Ukrainians hate Russia also (the state not the people) but they also buy a lot of Ladas (russian car brand). Sometimes a car is a necessity and people will look past the carmaker’s origin

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
          • Brian on Feb 03, 2021 at 7:22 pm

            Previously you harp on Proton X70 & X50 being China car now you say “car is a necessity and people will look past the carmaker’s origin”? You should take your own advice.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 3
        • Only the best China products for humanity. Chinas saved the world, same like Lotus even though owned by china Geely this carbrand is still British thoroughbred…

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 8
      • Troll Hunter on Feb 03, 2021 at 3:48 pm

        Trolls will say that Aussies are super poor now going from buying German cars and today only can afford for Chinese cars. Must be due to their incompetent epic utter failure ….sigh govt.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 1
      • donno on Feb 04, 2021 at 9:08 am

        current MGs are all designed and built in china.

        jaguars and land rovers are still built in UK

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Where is Geely on Feb 03, 2021 at 1:17 pm

    Those are more premium chinese brand

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
  • Calvin on Feb 03, 2021 at 1:52 pm

    Eh won’t that someone going to say Australia dah jual to China? Wakakakaka

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • Bel Jin on Feb 03, 2021 at 3:25 pm

    why arent the aussies interested to buy Proton cars?

    proton claimed best handling and good for safety!! never appeciate. some more HPF body.. turbo engine and 6 airbags. plus ESP. haiyaaaa

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
    • Brian on Feb 03, 2021 at 5:48 pm

      They no longer interested simply due to Proton no longer makes a Ute car. When the Jumbuck was around, Proton was making good progress into Aus market.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
      • donno on Feb 04, 2021 at 9:17 am

        which is why i have said that Proton needs a pickup truck in its range. Get a chinese pickup platform and just design a new proton body styling around it, like what Peugeot is doing with Peugeot Landtrek.

        The arena/jumbuck was a big hit with Australians, also the satria GTi. The satria neo was relegated to just a decent cheap car as it did not have a good engine that would make it a sporty car. The BLM saga was also a good seller, before proton stopped selling cars in Australia.

        the waja should had been a bestseller, but they priced it similarly to volvo S40, and more expensive than a mitsubishi lancer in Australia, which killed its sales.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
        • Dr Strange on Feb 04, 2021 at 12:29 pm

          Geely doesn’t have a proper pickup. At most is the Boyue based which isn’t a real truck either.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • donno on Feb 04, 2021 at 1:22 pm

            never said anything about geely based. geely does not make a proper pickup anyway. plenty of other chinese pickup models that proton can pick as its base.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Raja Celup on Feb 03, 2021 at 7:05 pm

      Why buy Proton when they can buy original Geely cars.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Dr Strange on Feb 04, 2021 at 12:24 pm

        Geely only have LHD cars while Australia is RHD country. Simple.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • hondaman on Feb 03, 2021 at 4:56 pm

    Thailand? is it japanese brand imported from Thailand or there is a Thai brand that we didn’t know?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
    • donno on Feb 04, 2021 at 9:09 am

      thailand exports Australian most liked vehicles, the pickup trucks. holden, isuzu, toyota, ford, mitsubishi, mazda pickup trucks are all manufactureed in thailand.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Fareed on Feb 03, 2021 at 6:20 pm

    Australian are not stupid or poor. Australian knows car like Mercedes, BMW , VW , Mini and Audi are all MONEY PIT CARS ( These brands are not value for money cum with high maintenance cost after the warranty period expired)

    Furthermore, the Australian public Transport is so good and efficient unlike Malaysia ( still long way to go) , that lots of people need not drive to work daily. So a car in Australia is not so important as compare to a beautiful house ( not terrace or condominium type).

    On foreign exchange , one AUD is worth close to 3 RM .
    Malaysia is poor but most people here except for a fee like to show off driving expensive German Cars but leave in a Terrace house or middle class condominium .

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 5
    • Brian on Feb 03, 2021 at 7:24 pm

      So why did China cars outsold Japanese cars too? Are they also money pits as well?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
      • donno on Feb 04, 2021 at 1:25 pm

        many japanese branded cars sold in Australia is not really made in japan, like all those toyota, mitsubishi, mazda and isuzu pickups.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Mango on Feb 03, 2021 at 8:34 pm

      Well said. Many Malaysian are poor (check with KWSP how much is average Malaysian salary) but love to show off something they don’t have. Drive BMW or Merc but RENT a room in the condominium. Lol

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • Aussia Kangaroo on Feb 03, 2021 at 11:01 pm

      Australian are poor. Many are renting a house. And many have less than 1k in the bank. Buy China car with 8 years loan is still ok. Well done Aussie.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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