Recently, some statistics obtained by NBD Auto (micro-signal: NBDAUTO) from China's import auto market database (hereinafter referred to as the database) show that China's auto import volume in 2016 was 1.041 million units, down 3.4% year-on-year. Compared with the decline of 24.2% in 2015, the decline rate of the imported car market last year has decreased significantly. Tube Valves For Motorcycle & Bicycle NINGBO BLUEOCEAN AUTO PARTS CO.,LTD , https://www.blueoceanautoparts.com
Not only that, in the fourth quarter of last year, the imported car market has actually begun to bottom out, but at the same time as the rebound, the structure of the imported car market is also changing. Previously, the SUV market, which dominated the imported car market, gradually shrank with the advancement of localization in this market. Instead, the car market driven by various NEW PRODUCTS grew significantly.
In addition, under the policy push, the proportion of parallel import markets has gradually increased, and the import of new energy vehicles has become the fastest growing segment. Under the promotion of many favorable factors, the industry expects a rebound trend in the imported car market this year, but in the long run, the imported car market is still a supplement to the auto market.
　　 Car growth supports imported cars to pick up
Faced with the biggest round of downward adjustment in the history of imported cars, when the industry is still worried, the imported car market has bottomed out earlier than expected.
According to statistics from the database, in December 2016, the sales volume of imported automobiles was 89,000 units, a record high in the single month of the year, which was 6.1% higher than the same period in 2015. Not only that, but NBD cars learned from the database that in the six months of the second half of 2016, the demand for the imported car market increased for five months.
Driven by demand, the total import volume of automobiles in 2016 was 1.041 million units, and the decline was reduced to 3.4%.
Before the wave of warming, the imported car market had fallen for 20 consecutive months. After the continuous decline, whether this wave of callbacks can be regarded as a signal that the imported car market has stabilized and stabilized, the industry has always had different voices.
"As far as the health of the imported car market is concerned, it has been better recovered." Previously, when talking about the overall situation of the imported car market last year, Wang Cun, senior manager of the SINOMACH marketing department, told NBD that the specific performance was reduced. And some new factors driving the growth of the imported car market began to emerge.
NBD Motors learned that as of December 2016, the imported car market inventory fell to 3.4 months, has fallen back to the lowest point in the past four years. In Wang Cun's view, this leaves room for further recovery of the imported car market.
In addition, the structure of the imported car market began to adjust. According to the statistics of the NBD car inspection database, in the main market segments of imported cars, in 2016, only the A-class car, which was the most affected by localization, experienced a decline of 33.6%, the B-class car increased by 13.3%, and the C-class car rose by 12.6. %, D-class cars rose 5.2%. In addition, the A0-class market rose 8.3%, and the A00-class car rose 59.6%.
In terms of vehicle structure, the SUV market, which accounted for 58.9% of imported cars, experienced a 10% decline last year, but the car market grew by 8.3%, and the proportion of imported cars increased to 36.8%. Car growth has become a fulcrum for the recovery of imported cars.
　　 New energy and parallel imports are growing
In the case that domestically produced vehicles still strongly influence the imported car market, the demand for imported cars and the recovery of imports are receiving attention.
“There are some imported car brands that have started to adjust very early, so they are in a state of health soon.†Wang Cun told NBD that brands such as Subaru and Lexus started to lower earlier, and inventory was at a lower level, providing for import growth. The space. In 2016, Lexus imports increased by more than 50% year-on-year, ranking third in the import market.
In addition, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which are among the top sellers in the sales volume, launched new products in the second half of 2015, which became an important factor driving the increase in the import volume of the two brands. Among them, Mercedes-Benz launched the new GLS and the new GLE in the second half of 2015, which became an important product to drive the growth of imports in the first half of 2016. The BMW 3 Series GT and Lexus ES are also new products entering the imported car market last year.
In addition to the main brand pull, NBD cars learned that the new energy vehicle market and policies are driven by parallel imports, which is also one of the main reasons for the recovery. In the eyes of some industry insiders, these markets have hampered the impact of localization on the imported car market.
According to statistics from the database, the parallel imports in 2016 were 129,900 units, a positive growth of 16.3% year-on-year, and 12.8% in the imported car market, an increase of 1 percentage point over the same period of the previous year.
It is worth noting that in 2016, the total import volume of new energy vehicles was 16,100 units, a year-on-year increase of 279%. Among them, the proportion of pure electric vehicles imported was 70%, and the plug-in hybrid models accounted for 30%, including BMW. I3, BMW i8 and Other products have become the market's main force.
Even though the imported car market has shown signs of recovery, the localization push has gradually marginalized the imported car market. NBD cars learned that even in the new energy market, including the Audi A6L plug-in hybrid version and other products are gradually made in China.