In July 2008, the Buick GL8 rules the roost again, 8 years after it was launched in China. The GL8 was refined in 2005, and continues to sell very well, carving its own niche in the premium business MPV market. Poor sales from the Dongfeng-Citroen Picasso are quite shocking, the same for the Kia Carnival.
MPV’s with more than 5 seats are not overly popular for family use, as Chinese families are usually a nuclear family. Most 7 seater and up MPV’s are used for business use. Recently VW and Ford introduced 5 seater versions of their MPV’s, to encourage uptake, as cars with more than 5 seats have to pay double road tax.
The resion MPVs have slow sales is because Chinese couples can only have one child buy law , every one knows it . Is there any need for an MPV when you only have one child ? well no . Stop wasting your time thinking of lame resions why MPVs have such slow sales ! People who have large SUVs think they look cool and big thats why SUVs have such large sales . People in Europe buy MPV because well all Chinese people who have children only have one .
Hence the bit that said “MPV’s with more than 5 seats are not overly popular for family use, as Chinese families are usually a nuclear family”
…….Actually, In some cities the one child rule has some exemptions so that the family can have two children instead of one without the slap on the wrist and big fine. From what I was told (from a doctor) if both the man and woman are from a single child family they are allowed an extra kid.
yes, you can have two, but the financial burden for most is to large.
The 7 seater has some appeal to multi-generational families that live together, or in the same area. I doubt highly, however, that Chinese people will pay extra for this option.
The Chinese Odyssey (same as what they sell in Japan, not US) is quite nice and very reasonably priced right now.
due to be replaced any time soon! Perhaps by the end of the year, or early next year.