Gasgoo.com (Shanghai May 7) - Chinese appetite for foreign vehicles seems to be insatiable, with industry statistics showing March imports setting a new record high of 97,900 vehicles, the Beijing News reported earlier this week. The new figure represents growth of 14.68 percent from last year and is 70.97 percent higher than February's figures. The total value of imports is estimated around $3.85 billion, growing 19.43 percent from last year.
SUVs still constitute half of all imports, with German and Japanese manufacturers having the most desirable models on average, reports say. Su Hui, head of the China Automobile Dealers Association's market committee, estimates average price per imported vehicle at 400,000 yuan ($61,648). Total value of imports so far this year totals $17.03 billion, compared to $13.93 billion for exports.
