Summary: Best-selling JV sedan models of February

A total of 1.63 million passenger automobiles were sold in China over the month of February, according to statistics gathered by the China Passenger Car Association. The figure represents year-on-year growth of 18.29%. Among them sedan sales totaled 769,300 units, representing year-on-year growth of 15.14%, a figure just below the market average. As in previous years, the majority of the best-selling sedan models came from joint venture brands, with eight of the 10 top selling models being made by JVs.

The Buick New Excelle was this month’s best performing sedan model, with a total of 30,477 units sold, with its sales just slightly exceeding the VW Lavida’s. Finishing in third place was the Toyota Corolla, sales of which totaled 26,518 units. The VW Sagitar, VW New Bora, Nissan Bluebird Sylphy, Ford Escort, VW New Santana, Hyundai Elantra (Langdong) and Kia K3 rounded up the rest of the top 10. The VW Jetta, which was the second top-selling sedan in January, failed to make the top 10 this month. Despite that, VW still performed strongly in the sedan segment, with its array of models specifically targeted at the China market managing to bring in substantial sales; four of the top 10 selling sedans were VWs.

Sales of the Buick Excelle (pictured above) in February totaled 30,477 units, representing year-on-year growth of 51.3%, making it the best-selling sedan model of the month.

The VW Lavida (pictured above) was finally forced from its dominant spot on the top of monthly sedan sales charts. The Lavida’s sales in February totaled 30,009 units, representing year-on-year growth of 26.6%; by comparison, 30,009 Lavidas were sold in January.

The Toyota Corolla (pictured above) ranked in third place this month’s sales rankings. The model’s sales totaled 26,518 units, up 57.1% year-on-year and slightly more than the 26,302 units sold in January.

The Sagitar (pictured above) also performed strongly, with a total 24,248 units sold in February, up 8.8%. Annual sales of the Sagitar in 2016 totaled 341,331 units. 

Another VW model, the New Bora (pictured above) also did well. February sales of the New Bora totaled 21,319 units, over the double the amount sold a year ago.

The best-selling Japanese sedan of February was the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy (pictured above), known for its comfortable ride, spacious interior and good fuel economy. The Bluebird Sylphy’s sales fell from 31,969 units sold in January to 19,021 units sold in February.

The Ford Escort (pictured above) is directed at buyers who are looking for a vehicle for the entire family. The Escort performed well in 2016, when it managed to garner 296,867 sales, up 38.5% year-on-year. Sales of the Escort in February totaled 17,540 units, representing year-on-year growth of 10.4%.

The New Santana (pictured above) was yet another popular VW model made specifically for the China market. The vehicle’s sales in February totaled 17,100 units, up 12.3% year-on-year. By comparison, its sales in January totaled 30,347 units.

The Hyundai Elantra (pictured above) has been seeing a steady increase in its sales. The vehicle’s average monthly sales from January to August of last year was just over 18,000 units; that figure increased to over 20,000 units after September. Sales of the Elantra in February totaled 15,860 units, up 7.4% year-on-year.

The Kia K3 (pictured above) has been highly praised for its design, performance and affordability. January sales of the K3 totaled 14,902 units, up 19.9% year-on-year; sales this month totaled 15,501 units, representing a year-on-year increase of 144.9%.