Shanghai (ZXZC)- For the first eight months of 2021, there were 660,723 imported passenger vehicles (PVs) delivered across China, representing a 10.2% growth year-over-year, according to the Sinomach Automobile Co.,Ltd., China's largest dealer of imported vehicles.

To be specific, the Jan.-Aug. deliveries of imported cars and SUVs rose 23.3% and 2.5% from a year earlier respectively to 301,976 and 337,332 units, while the MPV segment suffered a 16.6% decrease with 21,415 units delivered.

Lexus ES; photo credit: Lexus

Affected by the global chip shortage and the domestic prevention and control of the coronavirus pandemic, China's deliveries of imported PVs dipped 5.3% from a year ago to 78,837 units in August, including 33,129 cars (-8.6% YoY), 42,957 SUVs (-0.7% YoY), and 2,751 MPVs (-26.1% YoY).

Half of the top 10 auto brands by Aug. deliveries of imported PVs posted year-on-year decrease amid chip crunch. The decline confronting Porsche and Subaru stood at 14.9% and 36.2%. Due to the rise of ES series prices and the auto parts supply constraints, Lexus' PV deliveries in China fell 6.5%. Toyota recorded a 49% year-on-year slump mainly affected by the disruption of auto parallel import.

In terms of the Jan.-Aug. imported PV deliveries, the top 3 brands were Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW. Among the top 10 brands, Toyota and Volkswagen were the only two posting downturn movement year-over-year, while the other brands all boasted two-digit growth.