"This year has been the worst year of the last three years and the best of the next three years." When this pessimist line was mentioned in 2019, most people just laughed it off, but after the ups and downs of 2020 and 2021 under the epidemic, more friends have learned to accept such an uncertain future.
Looking back at this slightly heavy topic when 2022 has passed 1/6, the Chinese auto market has also been established in recent years. Fortunately, as one of the pillar industries, the car market is still hot over the property market - according to the production and sales data of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in 2021, the domestic automotive industry finally ended three consecutive years of contraction, not only with an increase of more than 3%, but also more than 26 million production and sales continue to lead the world.
However, domestically manufactured cars still cannot fully meet the "growing demand for a better life of the people", even if the implementation of the National VI emission standards once stuck in the neck of parallel importers, but in the case of a 6.9% decrease in total imports compared with 2020, it finally imported 935059 new cars from overseas last year. Driving Pie also conducted a brief analysis of the import data of mainstream brands and models to see which brands occupied the top ten lists.
No.1
Lexus
Sales: 219,089
Gain: -7.1%
As the only luxury brand that relies entirely on imports — if you think Porsche is more "luxurious" — Lexus will sell nearly 220,000 new cars in China in 2021, which doesn't seem like a surprise.
Of course, Lexus's brand appeal is still strong enough, so it still has more annual sales than Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover and Lincoln, but last year's sales contraction was still surpassed by Cadillac, which grew by 2.5% year-on-year, losing the position of the leader of the second group of traditional luxury brands.
Compared with the cadillac of the whole series of domestic lineups, the Lexus import strategy under the epidemic is a loss, which can be seen from the sales of the core product ES - because of the limited production capacity, the medium-sized luxury sedan that was once bought at a price increase last year only sold 105,844 units, more than 10,000 units less than in 2020, although it is still the single model in the Chinese market for imported car sales, and even more than doubled than the BMW X5 in the second place, but the 7.9% drop makes it a drag on the brand's total sales.
The Lexus RX ranked third in single-model sales last year, and while I don't think it's as visible as the BMW X5, it imports only 1,600 fewer UNITS than the BMW SUV, and only 1.6 percent from 2020. The newly replaced NX has a 9.5% decline in capacity, although the import volume of 36,387 units allows it to remain fifth in the ranking of single import models. What is more surprising is that in my opinion, the UX that has no sense of existence actually has sales of 15,418 units, up 31.1% year-on-year, and it seems that the blessing of faith is indeed important - 4730 honorable LS car owners, 4377 rich people who bought LM at a higher price, and 3377 CT owners who are still buying 11 years ago should have a lot of say.
No.2
Mercedes-Benz
Sales: 172,370
Gain: 10.7%
With BMW with a 7.5% year-on-year increase, Mercedes-Benz held the second position. Of course, there should be some "small means" - from the data we have, Mercedes includes smart sales, while MINI's 30,724 results are not counted in the BMW brand.
The best-selling Mercedes-Benz is the GLE, although 4586 fewer than the old rival BMW X5, but still with the attractiveness of the new generation of products to bring a 15.4% year-on-year increase, with 45,631 units to surpass the Lexus NX to become the fourth place in the sales of single imported models - Aiwu and Wu, even Mercedes-AMG's GLE sold 5,123 units, the total number seems to be small, but the year-on-year increase is 106.5%.
The S-class is the second best-selling product of imported Mercedes-Benz, which should not be surprising. Although last year's S-Class faced an empty window period of new and old switching, and the controversy over new cars was also very large, the annual sales volume of 23,465 units fell by only 2% compared with 2020, successfully surpassing the old rival BMW 7 Series and returning to the hegemony of the market segment - if you count the 7,829 units of the Maybach S-class data that is difficult to find, the benefits it brings to Mercedes and its dealers are absolutely staggering. The other cash cow, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and AMG G-Class, achieved a record of 3,946 and 2,706 units, as well as endless room for mark-ups.
As the head luxury brand, Mercedes-Benz's product category is comprehensive, but the sales distribution of other imported models is also relatively balanced, such as GLS soared 46.2%, selling 15,645 new cars, E-class, CLA also contributed 12,478 units and 11,299 units respectively.
No.3
Bmw
Sales: 165,958
Gain: 7.5%
How long BMW can still hold the third position in domestic automobile imports should depend on whether the Germans' determination to further fully localize after BMW Brilliance's shareholding has grown to 75%, and whether it will be as large as american luxury brands.
At least the X5's domestic production line this year will directly affect the performance of imported BMWs, after all, it is the second most imported model in 2021, a slight increase of 3.3% over 2020, and has reached the level of 50,217 units. While the standard wheelbase version will be retained as an import in the future, who will give up more space and a cheaper price to choose the X5 made by South Carolina workers who have just recovered from covid-19?
After all, after the S-Class replacement, its competitiveness has been further suppressed, and last year's sales of 22,287 units shrank by 7.5% compared with 2020, surpassed by Mercedes-Benz's flagship sedan. The X4, 5 Series, 3 Series GT, 6 Series GT, X7 and 4 Series evenly accounted for 10,000-15,000 units of sales, and even the X6 rose by 40% compared with 2020, with 6,827 units far exceeding GLE Coupe's 1849 units.
Although the imported BMW models are in full bloom and there are almost no rotten tails, it is not difficult to expect that after the X5 domestic production, the overall import sales of the brand will fall back to about 120,000 units, and whether it can still hold the top three really depends on the faces of the two brothers of the Volkswagen Group behind them.
No.4
Porsche
Sales: 93,492
Gain: 4.8%
According to inertia, Mercedes-Benz BMW must be followed by Audi, but in the fourth place in import sales last year, it was Porsche, or I should say "or" Porsche.
Compared with the sales of 26,752 units in 2019 and 89,225 units in 2020, it has only been a matter of time before Porsche, which is imported as an entire series, has steadily entered the 90,000 unit mark, after all, after the birth of Cayenne, the Germans have found the traffic password, and China has become the world's largest single market for Porsche for seven consecutive years.
30,051 Cayenne and 29,979 Macan, ranked 6 or 7th in the import sales of a single model, adding up to Porsche's sales accounted for more than 64% of Sales in China last year, and counting the Panamera that sold 16,219 units, it can be said that 80% of Porsche's products are not in the category of traditional sports cars - 718 relatively civilian only sold 6,199 units, a year-on-year decrease of 14.4%, although the new 911 brought 68.8% year-on-year growth, But the high price also attracted only 3,880 buyers.
It is worth noting that the Taycan, which has been criticized by Porsche fans, has sold 7,089 units even better than its sports cars. In this way, the electrified 718 seems to be less difficult to accept.
No.5
Audi
Sales: 78,142
Gain: 36.5%
Compared with the first two letters of the BBA, Audi's achievements in the import car business have not been top-notch. On the one hand, we can use the earliest and most thorough reasons for localization to cover up, but on the other hand, it also shows that after abandoning the label of "very cost-effective", Audi's competitiveness in high prices is not sufficient, for example, Q7 only sold 16,237 units last year, which is very different from the status of X5 and GLE; the sales of 6,269 units of Q8 are far less than GLS and X7; the 15,646 units of A8 L are 5,600 units away from the Mercedes-Benz BMW flagship sedan.
Of course, as Audi's advantages in intelligence and electrification gradually appear, it has also helped German luxury brands to be recognized by some markets to a certain extent, and the sales growth of 36.5% is enough to make Audi surpass Toyota among the top five in the domestic import car business. However, at this stage, Audi's best-selling A7 is bound to lose the share of 6,020 units after domestic production, and there are not many models left to support the scene - A5 sales rose 78.9% last year, and the performance of 16,547 units is already super-level; although the high-taste but niche A6 Allroad and A4 Allroad contribute 6,479 units and 4,501 units, it is not easy; when it comes to performance cars, the presence of S/RS series products is even weaker.
So, the task of challenging "BB" is to let Porsche come.
No.6
Land rover
Sales: 41,847
Gain: 4.2%
After sending the cheap model to Changshu, Land Rover's steps returned to the steady pace of the year.
In fact, Land Rover's imported models are not many, but they are basically above the horizontal line, such as the weak sense of existence of the star vein and the design crash of the discovery 5, but also stable output of 5,643 units and 5,351 units of sales, although down 12.7% and 16.2% respectively, but also easily sold 9,210 units of the Defender to make up for it. As for the Range Rover that provoked the beams, it remained at 12,196 units, and with the launch of a new generation of products this year, it should still usher in a wave of enthusiastic rushes from the rich, and the sales data of the Range Rover Sport version of 9,447 units has dropped by 18.7% compared with 2020, and it will probably not be until 2023 to wait for the replacement of blood transfusions.
No.7
MINI
Sales: 30,724
Gain: 3.4%
The uniqueness of the MINI brand seems to be difficult to evaluate, although the current Mini has a very bad taste of Bavarian sausages, and the upcoming new MINI is likely to be "more Chinese".
However, it is worth recalling that in 2010, when I bought the MINI, it just broke through the annual sales of 10,000 units, and in 2012 it had already reached a record of 20,000 units - ten years later, the MINI sold 30,000 units after inflation and preferential treatment, which should not be a success, especially the seemingly more practical Clubman and Counterman only sold 5,692 units and 5,678 units, respectively. It seems that at least for the mediocrity of cash products, most people still vote with their wallets.
No.8
Toyota
Sales: 27,155
Gain: -62.9%
From 73,241 units in 2020 directly collapsed more than 60% of sales, what can make Toyota's import car business collapse is certainly not the 23,963 owners who raised elfa at the dealership, and even the data of imported Xena slashing to 2,878 units after the domestic landing is not the culprit.
Land Cruiser sold 187 units, Prado sold 89 units, Toyota's evergreen in the off-road vehicle market faced the dual pressure of emission regulations and replacement, directly reducing 99.2% and 99.4%, with FJ Cruiser sales also decreasing by 98.3%, and the annual data stayed at 21 units - of course, this is not the only case for Toyota, Nissan Tule fell sharply from 13,351 units in 2020 to 136 units, and Mitsubishi Pajero jumped from 16,164 units to 104 units. Even the exalted Lexus LX sold 95.4 percent less, up from just 189 lucky last year. It is precisely because of the full withdrawal of Japanese off-road vehicles that the parallel import and second-hand car markets have set off a bloody storm that has lost its mind, and the retention rate of these models has been speculated into an appreciation rate.
No.9
Volvo
Sales: 24,267
Gain: 13.5%
Although Volvo must have put its Nordic pedigree very high, for Chinese consumers, it is a mother-in-law who looks at the son-in-law for the Swedish brand, and it is inevitable that there will be some preferences.
However, this booming heat, naturally accompanied by the localization of blood and milk fusion, XC90 this year's domestic wind gradually rises, last year its 19,992 units of sales but occupied most of Volvo's country, so next year only rely on V90, V60 so 3, 369, 886 units of sales, Volvo is difficult to appear in the front row of the import list.
No.10
Volkswagen
Sales: 16,909
Gain: -32.7%
The Volkswagen brand, which is extremely familiar to the Chinese masses, is not so popular in the imported car market. Of course, this is also because german brands, as the forerunners of joint venture car companies, have never hesitated to import popular models into domestic production, but I think they also have to admit that after losing the two core models of the Beetle and Phaeton, which occupy both ends, Volkswagen has no reason to stand out in the import car market.
Slightly capable of playing Is Touareg, which sold 16,184 units last year, although 14.2% lower than in 2020, but also represents the façade of imported Volkswagen, after all, 566 Units, 65 Units Sharon and 57 Units Ofway are really a bit of a drop in the bucket.
In addition to the top ten car companies in terms of imported car sales, I will finally review a detail worth paying attention to -
From Maserati, Lamborghini, Aston Martin to Bentley and Rolls-Royce, except for McLaren, which only sold 223 units, everyone had a good life last year, but the main sales of these giants have turned to SUVs, such as Maserati sold 4,267 Levantes, Bentley sold 1,697 Bentayga, and Rolls-Royce added 739 honorable Cullinan owners. Ferrari can also mention alone that the sales of 432 units itself are not much, but compared with the poor 43 units under the epidemic in 2020, it has also increased by more than 9 times, becoming the most top-notch car company in all imported brands.
The Chaohao brand laughed out loud, but it did not change the fact that China's import car market was gradually tightening. As the world's largest automobile consumer market, the introduction of domestic production is the right solution for most mainstream car companies, which has also prompted the once prosperous imported cars to become an increasingly scarce luxury.
However, as a supplement to the choice of rich market types, imported cars still represent the demand for personality and quality, and I think that no matter at what stage, its existence is reasonable or even necessary, which also makes the driver continue to pay attention to what kind of turning china's imported car market will take in 2022.
Wen | Louis
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