off-road suspension one of the fastest growing catagories in China

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SEMA eNews, Vol. 11, No. 39 - Sep 25, 2008
OFF-ROAD SUSPENSION ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING CATEGORIES IN CHINA

A small but growing slice of wealthy Chinese citizens are seeking enjoyment in off-roading much as other enthusiasts around the world have. These well-to-do off-roaders usually own two or more cars and use their 4WD vehicles on the weekend for leisure.

Chinese government statistics suggest that the number of passenger cars on the road at the end of 2007 numbered about 32 million, and according to industry data experts, about 6 million new domestically produced passenger vehicles will be sold in China in 2008.

There is also an increasing number of SUVs in the mix of new vehicles delivered; more than 350,000 in 2007, which is an increase of 50% over 2006. Figures for the first quarter of 2008 signal that the growth is still strong with about 40% more SUVs sold compared to the same period in 2007. Imports of vehicles are strong too, with more than 280,000 vehicles coming into China in 2007, 50% of which were SUVs. The first half of 2008 saw total imports up 52%, and the SUV share of this figure had increased to 57%.

In a word, the SUV, including all 4x4 variants, is becoming more and more popular, even though the price of gasoline is over $3.20, high by Chinese standards, at the time of writing.



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Maybe because the roads are so crappy over there?  

Interesting, there is a lot of open space out there once you get away from the urban areas.