April Sales

MG


UK: 221  0.12% (of market),   +715.96% (2014 total over same period in 2013)

China: 16,336, +0.70% (2014 total over same period in 2013)

NZ: 4  0.06% (of market)



Maxus


China: 1,373, +39.04% (2014 total over same period in 2013)

NZ: 23   0.89% (of market)

I had a terrible feeling I was overestimating!   

If they keep the % increase above 700% then things will be good, expecting it to be higher than that is maybe unrealistic?

They have only ever spoken in terms of the first batch of 700+ cars - presumably they are almost all sold, so presumably batch 2 is on it's way? They need to stay well into 3 figures to silence the critics and to hit their 'few thousand' per annum target.

Also, in the early days, they stated the MG3 would undergo final assembly in the UK. This then changed with word getting out that the first batch would be imported fully built. Do we know what they're planning going forward from here? I have to say, as a cheap car, it makes no sense to incur the extra cost of final assembly in the UK; I can't think it'd affect sales if this model was imported complete.

They have confirmed that final assembly currently takes place at Longbridge, it mirrors the process of the MG6.

Also, I think it works out cheaper to import knock down kits and have them assembled here than to import complete cars that would incur an import tax.

snifferdog1 wrote:They have confirmed that final assembly currently takes place at Longbridge, it mirrors the process of the MG6.

Yes, I asked about this in the winter, and by January final assembly was clearly taking place at Longbridge as seen by customers visiting the plant - some MG3s registered in 2013 were certainly Longbridge-assembled.

Updated.

Looks a bit like the UK is driving SAIC's 2014 sales growth!

Once upon a time, MG could have managed those Chinese numbers in Europe. If they handle MG correctly, they should find MG can do it again.

What is holding Chinese sales back though? That's the thing I'd be trying to focus on if I were SAIC.

Magnette wrote:Once upon a time, MG could have managed those Chinese numbers in Europe. If they handle MG correctly, they should find MG can do it again.

What is holding Chinese sales back though? That's the thing I'd be trying to focus on if I were SAIC.

Have to agree with that.

The Chinese sales seem to be increasing only with the number of dealers, if they can't do better then they should put more effort into exports, supply cars to those that want them, like SA!

Magnette wrote:What is holding Chinese sales back though? That's the thing I'd be trying to focus on if I were SAIC.

You might find this interesting:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/latest/china-car-sales-rising-but-local-brands-struggle/story-e6frg90f-1226912505830

As a group, sales of Chinese-brand sedans totaled 941,600 in the period from January to April, down 17 per cent from a year earlier,

And that is with Roewe holding the figure up!

Will the Chinese government start leaning on the market to support 'home grown' brands?

Magnette wrote:Will the Chinese government start leaning on the market to support 'home grown' brands?

People are free to buy whatever brand they want, they can't impose import taxes because most of the foreign brand cars are made in China by joint ventures with Chinese companies, there is not a lot the government can do.

They do have a policy that vehicles bought by the government should be Chinese brands but I think that is as far as they will go.