Archive for January, 2011
It’s official, China sells 18.06 million cars in 2010
China is now the biggest car market in the world by a long shot with US car sales around the 10 million units marker. China’s auto sales climbed by 32.37% in 2010 over the previous year according to final statistics released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) Car production reached 18.26 million in [...]
Guangzhou Auto’s Trumpchi SUV spotted out
We first saw the Guangzhou Auto SUV concept at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2010, at the time it was known as the X-Power SUV, although this might change for the production model. Power for the SUV is expected to come from GAC’s own 2.0L engine which was formerly found in the Alfa Romeo [...]
Chevrolet Cruze hatch spotted in China
The Chevrolet Cruze has been one of GM’s great gains in the Chinese market, in 2010 188,000 units alone were cleared from Chevrolet dealerships across China – that works out an impresive 515 Cruze’s sold per day for GM. To improve on 2010′s sales statistics, Shanghai-GM are readying the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback variant into China, [...]
Nissan China sales top 1 million units in 2010, shows 35% raise
Nissan China has managed to clear one million cars from its dealerships in 2010 according to recently released figures. Nissan has several joint venture partnerships in China, all of which have heavily contributed to the impressive 2010 sales tally. Sales of Nissan vehicles are up by 35.5% in China to 1.02 million vehicles which has [...]
Skoda sales reach 200,000 units, post 62% increase in sales.
Skoda first entered China in 2007 under VAG ownership, prior to that the last generation of Skoda’s were mostly used as taxi’s in Beijing and rumor has it that the first of those came via China’s friend and partner: North Korea. Skoda’s 2010 sales went over 200,000 units giving it a 62% sales boost over [...]
Rolls Royce sales in China make China 2nd biggest market
From the Telegraph: China has now overtaken the UK to be Rolls’ second- biggest market after the US, while Asia-Pacific is the biggest region thanks to strong growth in the UAE, India, Korea and Japan. In 2010, 2,711 cars were sold in total, the highest level since new Rolls cars re-emerged under BMW ownership in [...]
Chinese built Ford Fiesta gains 5 stars in Chinese NCAP testing
Ford’s unstoppable super mini – the Fiesta, has gained yet another accolade to attach to its list of awards; a 5-star safety award from China’s Ncap. According to information released, the Chang’an Ford built Fiesta received a score of 12.32, 15.38 and 14.77 in the frontal 100% head on collision, side impact and 40% offset [...]
Beijing 2010 auto sales reached 900,000 units
It is no wonder that the Beijing government acted to stop the city being swamped by cars in 2011, by limiting growth to just 240,000 cars in 2011 Beijing has artificially limited the growth of the local car market but the major failure in the plan was to announce in November 2010 that they would [...]
Chinese JVs like to build native sub-brands
All the while, native brands always belong to Chinese native car makers, such as Chery, Geely and BYD. In recent months, some joint venture brands released their own native sub-brands. In April of 2008, Guangqi Honda, a JV between Guangzhou Automobile Group and Honda Motor, unveiled Everus (Li Nian in Chinese), the first native brand [...]
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-01-09
Back to work, new year, new plans, big ideas for CCT and beyond. Be prepared! # Snow time – perhaps I should buy some snow tires for 2011, any suggestions?! # AshAsh came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along [...]
Uncertain future for MPV’s in China
The Chinese MPV market has never raised car makers hopes too much. In 2005 and 2007, the FAW built VW Caddy and Changan-Ford S-MAX were launched in China with great ambitions, but reality they were flops. The 2 MPVs were the most unsalable products of 2 successful car makers, the Caddy subsequently fell out of [...]
France chasing China for Renault leak
According to France24 media reports, the French government has ordered the French security services to look into a possible Chinese connection in the recent case of alleged corporate espionage that has rocked Renault and lead to the suspension of several members of senior staff. France24 reports: French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s office has asked the country’s [...]
Guangzhou Auto Show Photo Bonanaza
Did China Car Times miss any cars from the Guangzhou Auto Show that you really wanted to see? Hoping to catch a glimpse of the Chang’an Ben Ben Mini Love or other Chinese built machine that we totally forgot? Several China Car Times readers have come forward with their own picture collections from the show. [...]
Chang’an auto to raise 4 billion RMB via share sale
Chang’an Auto have become one of the great sleepers of the Chinese car industry, from no where they have become an automotive giant and regularly sell more of their own branded cars than they do their joint venture partners in Volvo, Ford and PSA. Now Chang’an are aiming for a big expansion in 2011 by [...]
Ford posts 40% sales increase in 2010
Ford has beaten its 2009 sales total by 40%, bringing total 2010 sales to an amazing 582,467 units over the past 12 months. Ford’s December sales were at 56,880 units, which was a 40% increase over the same period in 2009. “We are grateful to our partners and Chinese consumers for yet another year of [...]
Honda sales up 12.2% in China but December sales fall
Honda currently has two joint venture partnerships, one with Dongfeng and one with Guangzhou Auto in Southern China, these two joint venture agreements sold an impressive 646,631 vehicles over the course of 2010 giving Honda 12.2% growth for 2010. December sales reached 57,688 units, but actually saw a decrease over December 2009 sales by 2.32%. [...]
Chinese car co’s and VW to gain most share in 2011
From Bloomberg: Chinese car brands will probably increase global market share through 2015, along with Volkswagen AG and Hyundai Motor Co., according to a survey of senior auto executives by KPMG International. Chrysler Group LLC is the most likely loser. In the survey of 200 auto executives, 81 percent predicted Chinese manufacturers will boost their [...]
Ferrari sales reach 300 units in China
Ferrari’s are now ten a penny in China, not a day goes by when you don’t hear the high engine whine of an Italian super car throwing its weight around. Ferrari has been in China for just six years but they are already proving to be the brand to have for China’s rich and famous, [...]
Greatwall sees sales increase by 77%
As if overnight Greatwall Motors has turned itself into one of the mid league players in the Chinese market, its 2010 sales increased by 77% over 2009 and helped it to sell 397,000 vehicles in the Chinese market in 2010. Greatwall has successfully steered its way from being purely an SUV maker and into a [...]
Dongfeng-PSA gain 38.8% sales rise
Dongfeng-PSA oversees the production of both the Peugeot and Citroen line up of cars in the Chinese market, this is Peugeot’s second joint venture in the Chinese market place after their first JV with Guangzhou Auto fell through the floor and saw Peugeot leave China for a short time. Dongfeng-PSA are reporting a sales increase [...]
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