Wheel of changing fortune

5 October 2012 By Wei Gu

The spat over disputed islands may help German carmakers overtake their Japanese rivals in China. The likes of Audi and BMW have been luring customers with price cuts and attractive technology. If memories of protesters smashing Japanese cars linger, Germans stand to benefit.

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BMW, the world’s largest premium carmaker, increased sales of its flagship BMW brand in China by 55 percent in September over the previous year to roughly 27,000 vehicles, the company said on Oct. 4.
Audi’s September sales in China advanced 20 percent year-on-year to 35,512 vehicles. Mercedes delivered 16,806 cars and SUVs in China in the month, a gain of 10 percent.
South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor said on Oct. 5 its China sales climbed 15 percent to 84,188 vehicles in September from a year earlier.
Toyota Motor Corp’s sales in China fell about 40 percent in September from a year earlier to about 50,000 cars, and the decline will likely force the company to miss its goal of selling 1 million cars there this year, a source with knowledge of the sales told Reuters on Oct. 4.
Mazda Motor Corp said on Oct. 4 its China sales tumbled by more than a third in September from a year earlier.

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