The rise of popular Chinese brands MG, LDV and GWM is no measure in Australia.
But are we seeing the end of this unprecedented growth? Are sales happening at a steady pace? Or are these manufacturers just getting started?
GWM
GWM Australia is made up of the Great Wall light commercial brand and its SUV subsidiary Haval, and like MG, it is a factory-backed importer. GWM ended last year with 18,384 units, up 251% from the result achieved in 2020. This is much higher than 1,114 units in 2017.
Currently, GWM offers three models, including the Haval Jolion and H6 SUVs and the GWM Ute. Haval H9 and H2 and Great Wall Steed have both been discontinued or replaced. And, we can wait and see the performance of the upcoming Haval H2 2023.
While the Haval models are hitting huge sales this year (885 and 690 respectively), the GWM Ute is down 42.6% y/y. While this may signal a decline in overall sales for GWM, the company has big plans to expand into Australia. New SUV models like the Haval Big Dog (aka the Dargo) and the Tank 300 and 500 have both been confirmed, while the EV Ora sub-brand is also under serious consideration. Not only will this increase GWM’s sales momentum, but it could also push it up the charts and get MG into the top 10.
A GWM spokesman told CarsGuide that semiconductor shortages and delivery delays impacted the company’s sales in February, which impacted customer deliveries. However, they also said that, in 2022, their company is expected to gain another growth.
However, we continue to work with the factory to secure a reasonable supply share and still expect our 2022 operations to grow further than the record 2021 results.
MG
MG has the strongest price increase. The British used car company returned to the Australian market in late 2016, with the backing of parent company SAIC, after a slow start under former private distributor Longwell Motors.
SAIC had bold plans for MG in 2016, but no one would have expected it to become the economy brand of choice in Australia.
In 2017, the first year of factory sales returned to operation with the MG3 and MG6, the company sold only 600 vehicles.
Last year’s coupe and MG sold a staggering 39,025 units, up 156% from the automaker’s already huge 2020 car fleet and up 6,400% in just four years. This is enough to make it the ninth best-selling car brand in Australia, ahead of Subaru, Isuzu Ute and many others.
In the first two months of this year, MG sold 7,305 vehicles, 34.7% higher than the same period in 2021, but not the triple-digit growth the brand has seen annually since 2018.
Last month, sales of the HS midsize SUV were down 6.2% and MG’s February numbers were 24.9% higher than the corresponding month in 2021. Again, this is not an outcome. bad, but a far cry from the big growth of the previous year.
MG sells only three models in Australia – the MG3 light hatchback, the ZS compact SUV and the HS midsize SUV. While the lineup is likely to expand, it’s still unclear what new models will launch or when. If there are only three models in a few years, sales could stagnate.
However, a spokesperson for MG Motor Australia told CarsGuide that despite challenges due to parts shortages and supply chain disruptions, the brand plans to import a similar number of 4,000 vehicles per month that she manages. management in 2021.
MG’s stability is essential to its continued growth and we expect continued growth in 2022 and beyond.
They say there are no significant shortages or product-related irregularities that will affect our sales through 2022.
LDV
MG’s SAIC stabilized LDV is imported to Australia by private distributor Ateco Automotive. LDV sold 15,188 vehicles here in 2021, 62.9% more than the result of 2020.
This year, however, that growth has slowed to 28.8%. The light commercial vehicle specialist continues to record strong sales, with strong numbers for its only SUV, the D90, and the new Deliver 9 full-size van, the best-selling van. best in the segment so far this year.
However, T60’s T60 vehicle sales fell 41.9% in the first two months of 2022 in a segment that grew 9.5%. And this is despite the arrival of the refurbished T60 Max late last year.
Despite the drop in sales, an LDV Australia spokesperson said the brand had a strong order bank for the T60 Max, and it expected the brand to continue “significantly growing”.
While sales of the T60 Max were affected by supply issues, they are expected to see supplies roll out in the coming months. They say this will immediately translate into customer deliveries.
LDV has a growing electric stable in China and other markets, including New Zealand, and is expected to announce its electric vehicle plans later this year. While this might add some bulk, it won’t be enough to significantly increase its mass. A more mainstream offering that could boost sales further is the D60 midsize SUV that was revealed in 2019. It was rumored to be added to the Australian roster at the time, but was not anything has been confirmed since then.
The combination of affordable prices, attractive design, important safety features and long warranties has made the MG, LDV and GWM widely accepted in the Australian market.
MG is now firmly in the top 10 monthly brands, while GWM was favored over established brands like Honda and Suzuki last year. LDV also rises above its weight in the commercial vehicle and light SUV segments.
