Summary: Chinese passenger automobile market in the first half of 2014

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai) - According to statistics compiled by Gasgoo.com (Chinese), Shanghai Volkswagen was China's best performing manufacturer by sales in the passenger automobile market for the first half of the year. The Sino-German joint venture was followed in sales by FAW-VW, Shanghai GM, Beijing Hyundai, Dongfeng Nissan, SAIC-GM-Wuling, Changan Ford, Changan Automobile, Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën and Dongfeng Yueda Kia.

Changan was the only own brand manufacturer to make the top ten list. With the help of its new models, the manufacturer has managed to achieve respectable sales growth of 39.1 percent for the first half of the year, with its sales for the six month period totaling 357,800 units. By comparison, Changan was ranked as just the 12th best performing passenger automobile manufacturer in the first half of 2013.

On the other hand, Great Wall has been forced out of the top ten. The manufacturer sold just 282,300 vehicles over the first half of the year, down six percent from the first half of 2013. While the Haval H6's sales managed to grow at a respectable rate, the manufacturer's sedan sales fell a large 48 percent over the last six months.

On the joint venture side of things, although FAW-VW has managed to edge out Shanghai VW in the monthly sales charts from March to June, it still fell behind its fellow VW JV in the cumulative six month sales charts. Shanghai VW has sold a total of 940,500 vehicles over the first half of the year, compared to the 906,200 vehicles sold by FAW-VW. The two JVs year-on-year growth rates were 23.7 percent and 19.9 percent, respectively.

Shanghai GM sold only 823,200 vehicles this year, finishing comfortably in third place. By comparison, last year at this time it was just 4,000 vehicles short of the amount sold by top seller Shanghai VW. Shanghai GM's year-on-year sales growth for the first half of this year is a measly 5.5 percent.

Ever since the Diaoyu Islands controversy a few years ago, Dongfeng Nissan has seen its traditional fourth place position in the sales charts usurped by Beijing Hyundai. The first half of this year was no different, with Beijing Hyundai's sales of 553,000 vehicles edging out Dongfeng Nissan's 476,800 vehicles. The two JVs' respective year-on-year sales growth rates were 8.2 percent and 20.6 percent.

Lower down the sales charts, JV SAIC-GM-Wuling relied on sales of its own brand and JV products to place sixth place for the first half of this year with sales of 410,100 vehicles. It was followed directly by Changan Ford, while Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën and Dongfeng Yueda Kia placed in the ninth and tenth places, respectively.