The top ten automakers in China by sales in March were: FAW-Volkswagen, Changan, BYD, Geely, GAC Toyota, SAIC Volkswagen, Great Wall Motor, SAIC-GM-Wuling, SAIC-GM, and Dongfeng Nissan.

GAC Toyota is the only joint venture brand to achieve year-on-year growth. Only Changan, BYD, Geely, and GAC Trumpchi achieved a positive year-on-year growth among the Chinese independent brands. The market share of independent brands reached 48.5%, a year-on-year increase of 8.8%.

Furthermore, 1.579 million Chinese passenger cars were sold in March, a year-on-year decrease of 10.5% and a month-on-month increase of 25.6%. According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), the cumulative sales from January to March were 4.915 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 4.5%.

Top 1: FAW-Volkswagen

FAW-Volkswagen came in first with 126,131 units sold in March, accounting for 8% of the total market share.

However, compared with last year’s same period, its sales fell by 40.2% year-on-year. In addition to the shutdown of its factory due to the pandemic, some of its previous top-selling models, including the Bora, Sagitar, and Magotan, all experienced a significant decline in sales.

More specifically, 12,681 units of the Bora were sold, a year-on-year decrease of 67.8%; 15,148 units of the Sagitar were sold, a year-on-year decline of 58.9%. The Magotan even fell out from the top 15 best-selling sedan list.

Top 2: Changan

Changan came in second with 120,437 vehicles sold in March. The Eado, CS75, CS55, and Auchan X5 were all in the top 15 sales list.

Top 3: BYD

BYD came in third with 103,229 vehicles sold in March, a year-on-year increase of 161.4%, the highest increase among all companies in the top 10 list.

BYD’s sales in March were almost all contributed by electric vehicles. BYD sold 26,729 units of the Song models, 24,797 units of the Qin models, 12,881 units of the Yuan models, 12,359 units of the Han models, and 9,625 units of the Tang models.

Top 4: Geely

Geely came in fourth with 93,378 vehicles sold in March, a year-on-year increase of 3.8%. In March, the Geely Emgrand came ninth as the best-selling sedan with 16,336 units sold.

Top 5: GAC Toyota

GAC Toyota came in fifth with 88,048 vehicles sold in March, a year-on-year increase of 26.9%. It is the only joint venture brand that has achieved sales growth.

More specifically, 6,444 units of the Saina were sold in March. In March, the Camry, Ralink, and Willanda all achieved good sales results.

Top 6: SAIC Volkswagen

SAIC Volkswagen came in sixth with 78,018 vehicles sold in March, a year-on-year decrease of 34.6%.

Top 7: Great Wall Motor

Great Wall Motor came in seventh with 74,071 vehicles sold in March, a year-on-year decrease of 12.3%.

Top 8: SAIC-GM-Wuling

SAIC-GM-Wuling came in eighth with 70,841 vehicles sold in March, a year-on-year decrease of 17.8%. The Hongguang Mini was ranked first as the best-selling sedan, with 41,980 units sold in March.

Top 9: SAIC-GM

SAIC-GM came in ninth with 70,021 vehicles sold in March, a year-on-year decrease of 40.5%.

Top 10: Dongfeng Nissan

Dongfeng Nissan came in tenth with 67,159 vehicles sold in March, a year-on-year decrease of 33.5%, accounting for 4.3% of the market share. The Sylphy was the second best-selling sedan with 30,240 units sold in March.

Sum Up

Even though the overall sales volume in March this year is not satisfactory due to the pandemic and supply chain shortages, the sales of Chinese independent brands have increased significantly. In March, the retail sales of independent brands reached 750,000 units, an increase of 17% year-on-year and a 37% MoM. The domestic retail market share of Chinese independent brands was 48.2%, a year-on-year increase of 11.5%.

About CPCA

CPCA is a non-governmental organization established in 1994 by SAIC Volkswagen and several other sedan manufacturers. Its original name was the National Sedan Market Data Fellowship Society. It is not qualified for automotive statistics or authorized by the government to gather and publish automotive statistical data. It is merely a data exchange platform between automotive companies by collecting data from the reports submitted by these companies.

Source: Sohu, CPCA