State of the Chinese SUV market in April

According to statistics compiled by Gasgoo.com (Chinese), a total of 610,776 SUVs were sold in China in the month of April, up 30.7% from the previous year. SUVs accounted for 36.0% of all vehicles sold in the country over the course of the month, compared to an overall market share of 29.7% last April. A total of 2.57 million SUVs have been sold over the first four months of the year, representing year-on-year sales growth of 46.2%.

The SUV market’s rapid growth is in stark contrast with the minivan and sedan segments, the former of which has only managed to achieve slight positive sales growth of 4.3% and the latter of which has actually seen sales drop 2.6%. All individual SUV segments managed to also achieve positive year-on-year sales growth, with compact SUVs ,which accounted for 55.7% of total SUV sales, managing to see sales increase 33.1%. Small SUV sales, which totaled 162,405 units, grew 15.5%. Meanwhile both mid-size and full-size SUV sales, which respectively totaled 103,954 units and 4,447 units, achieved commendable sales growth rates of over 51% each.

With their off-road capability, sedan-like comfort and long-distance driving performance, SUVs have remained very popular in China for several years now. Furthermore, there are no signs that that popularity will recede in the near future. Also worth noting is that buyers are gravitating towards smaller and smaller SUVs. Compact and small SUVs combined accounted for 502,375 units, or 82.3%, of all SUV sales made in the country. By comparison, just over 10,000 mid-size SUV were sold over the same time period, while full-size SUV sales failed to meet even just 5,000 units.

The SUV market continues to hold a great deal of potential, with manufacturers exhausted of vying for diminishing returns in the already saturated sedan market and lukewarm minivan market all working to introduce brand new models. As such the Chinese automotive market is dependent on the SUV market for growth. The SUV market is essential for any manufacturers looking to succeed in the country.