China's pickup sales top 100,000 units in H1

Shanghai, July 24 (Gasgoo.com) The total sales of China's 10 major pickup brands reached 103,387 units in the first half of 2008, up 21.8% from one year earlier, reported xinhuanet.com today, citing the latest data from China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

Great Wall Motor led the pickup sales with 31,399 units from January to June, capturing 30.4% market share. The second to eighth best-selling pickup brands over the period are Jiangling, Nissan, Zhongxing, Foton, Huanghai (Yellow Sea), Gonow, and Qingling.

Statistics of the CAAM show that the first-half sales of the four major auto categories -- sedans, MPVs, SUVs and pickups -- hit 3,097,220 units in the Chinese market, up 18.53% year-on-year. The sales growth rates of sedans (16.8%) and MPVs (4.8%) were both below that of pickups.

The soaring fuel price did not affect the sales of pickups in China over the past six months because they are mainly used as vehicles widely needed for business and industrial activities for China’s booming economy. The demand for pickups is expected to grow more rapidly.

The sales of pickups now only account for 3% of the sales of the four major auto categories in China, but industry experts predicted that the market share of pickups will rise to 5% in the country's auto market by 2010, and to about 10% in the next 15 to 20 years.