Chinese-built cars were the third most common vehicle type sold in Australia last month, beating cars from Korea – like Hyundais and Kias – and Europe – like BMWs or Mercedes – as brands like MG and Great Wall boom.
According to monthly sales data released by Australia’s peak automotive body, the FCAI, some 14,889 Chinese-built vehicles were sold in Australia last month, with the number of deliveries only bettered by Thailand (20,363) and Japan (23,880).
Thailand is where the majority of Australia’s utes are built, while Japan is home to automotive giant Toyota, as well as top-10 players like Nissan, Mazda and Honda.
It puts China ahead of Korea – home of Hyundai and Kia – which produced 14,443 cars, and Germany, which produced 4116 vehicles.
At least part of the country’s success last month can be attributed to key Chinese brands like MG, which delivered 3261 vehicles last month, Great Wall Motors, which delivered 3050 vehicles, and LDV, which delivered 1640 vehicles.
MG’s popularity in Australia continues to skyrocket, with the brand finishing in ninth position on the top-10 list last month.
Toyota finished first with 14,852 vehicles sold, followed by Kia with 7,290. Then came Mazda (7,259), Mitsubishi (6,784) and Ford (6,635). Hyundai finished sixth with 6501 sales, then Tesla (5969), Volkswagen (3698), MG (3261) and Subaru (3167). Fellow Chinese brand LDV finished just outside the top 10 with 1640 sales.
But there are other, less-obvious vehicles that also help pump up those numbers. Australian-delivered Tesla Model 3s, for example, are manufactured in China. So is the Polestar 2, and are most Volvo XC40s and XC60s, thanks to that brand’s Chinese company Geely.
And that number is only set to grow, with new Chinese brands like BYD and Chery either here or about to enter our crowded new-car market.
The BYD Atto 3 EV is currently only available in one trim level and costs from $44,381 before on-roads for the 50.1kWh/320km range version, and $47,381 for the 60.4kWh/420km range version. It’s set to feature 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a massive 12.8-inch touchscreen which can rotate for either portrait or landscape orientation, a 5.0-inch digital dash, a panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charger, electric tailgate, surround-view monitor, synthetic leather interior trim, keyless entry and ignition, and power adjust for the front seats.
Meanwhile, three Chery vehicles – the Tiggo7 Pro compact SUV, the Tiggo8 Pro mid-size SUV, and the electrified Omoda5 – will touch down in Australia before the end of July for evaluation purposes, ahead of an expected launch in Australia next year.
“The first thing is to check the market, and to have some localisation tests to fit the customer requirements, and to fit the market. The road environment in Australia is a little bit different to other markets, so we should have this kind of test before we launch there,” Chery’s VP of Australian Operations told CarsGuide.
“For the Omoda 5, no doubt it will be introduced to the Australian market. But for the Tiggo7 Pro or Tiggo8 Pro, yes will have some test vehicles there, but maybe they’re not the final cars we’ll use. We hope we can make them even better.”
Keyword: Why your next new car will be Made In China: More Chinese-built cars sold in Australia than Korean or German vehicles as brand likes MG, LDV and Great Wall boom