China’s Jan.-Aug. imported auto volume drop 26.6% year on year

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- For the first eight months of 2020, China imported a total of 515,000 vehicles (including chassis), posting a year-on-year decrease of 26.6%, and saw the year-to-date import value of automobiles reach 172.42 billion yuan ($25.311 billion), according to Sinomach Automobile Co.,Ltd., China's largest dealer of imported vehicles.

In August, the automobile import volume fell 5.6% year on year to roughly 85,000 units, which are worth 29.6 billion yuan ($4,345,274,080).

In the Jan.-Aug. period, China's deliveries of imported PVs slid 18.3% from a year ago to 600,000 units, of which 83,000 units were handed over to consumers in August, up by 0.7% year on year thanks to the relatively low year-ago base number.

(Lexus UX 300e; photo source: Lexus)

The cars and SUVs accounted for 95.7% of the Jan.-Aug. imported PV deliveries in China. Specifically, the sales of imported cars and SUVs plunged 17.1% and 19.7% over a year earlier respectively to 244,844 units and 328,979 units. With 25,678 units sold so far this year, the imported MPV sector logged a 12.3% decline compared to the same period a year ago.

Among the top 10 imported PV brands by Aug deliveries, five brands—Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi and Subaru—achieved growth. Lexus and Mercedes-Benz were still the champion and runner-up with their deliveries leaping 27.6% and 31% year on year to 21,781 units and 13,900 units. Driven by the rising demands of the Audi A8, Audi, the occupant of the fifth place, boasted the biggest growth (58.4%) with 5,395 imported vehicles delivered.

The other five—BMW (No.3), Toyota (No.6), Jaguar (No.7), MINI (No.8) and Volkswagen (No.10)—handed over 12,308 (-6.2%), 4,569 (-22.2%), 2,824 (-8.5%), 2,458 (-9.5%) and 2,092 (-29.8%) imported PVs last month.

As for year-to-date deliveries, the top 3 imported brands were Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Among the top 10 brands by Jan.-Aug. volume, Lexus and Mercedes were the only two gaining increase.