Japan’s Big Three Carmakers Extend China Sales Slump
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Japan’s three biggest carmakers all posted year-on-year declines in August new-car sales in China, extending a difficult run in the world’s largest auto market. Nissan and Honda each saw sales fall by about half, while Toyota also recorded a double-digit drop and its seventh straight monthly decline. The companies linked the weakness to shrinking demand for petrol vehicles, stronger competition from Chinese manufacturers and a faster shift by consumers toward electric and plug-in hybrid models.
Key Points
- Nissan sold 28,275 vehicles in China in August, down 52% year on year, marking a second straight month with a decline exceeding 50%
- Honda’s August China sales fell 50% to 26,749 vehicles; it said its lineup remains heavily weighted toward fuel vehicles and missed EV and plug-in hybrid demand
- Toyota’s August China sales dropped 23% to 118,400 vehicles, extending its year-on-year decline to a seventh consecutive month.
- Radio Television Hong Kong reported all three Japanese carmakers have logged year-on-year sales declines for five consecutive months, while Honda has fallen for 31 straight months
- China’s passenger-car retail market sold 1.54 million units in August, down 24% year on year, with cumulative retail sales this year down by more than 20%
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the latest figures underline how quickly the mainland car market is moving away from traditional petrol models and toward electrified vehicles, reshaping the competitive landscape for regional automakers. Pressure on Japanese brands in China may also affect model strategy, pricing and product mix in nearby markets as manufacturers try to recover volume and defend market share.