SUVs - China - February 2019
Overview
 
What you need to know
For the first time, China’s SUV market sales dropped in 2018, after rapid growth in the past few years. In this Report, Mintel analyses the reasons behind the sales decline and how this market can improve leveraging Mintel’s research data, such as the rising ownership of SUVs, brand popularity and optimal pricing strategies. In addition, Mintel discusses how to improve SUV fuel consumptions to improve consumers’ usage experience.

Covered in this report
SUV: sport-utility vehicle, defined as vehicles built on a light truck platform with an interior similar to a large sedan. SUVs combine the comfort of a saloon car with off-road capability, functional versatility and a two-box configuration (hatchback).

Basic passenger cars (saloon cars): used for the transportation of people and luggage; the driver is usually the central focus, with an emphasis on driving and riding comfort. Saloon cars generally come in two-box configuration (hatchback) and three-box configuration (sedan).

MPV: combines the comfort of the saloon car, the space of a tourer and can be used to transport goods like a van. These vehicles usually come in a two-box configuration. MPVs are targeted mainly at household users, and the majority are manufactured based on passenger car platforms.

In terms of power source, new energy cars are cars with an unconventional power source such as electric power, or cars with more than one major power source such as an internal combustion engine and an electric engine.

Market sizing and forecasts are based on the annual sales volume of new SUVs in mainland China.

The following are excluded from this Report:

●	Commercial vehicles which are primarily used for moving freight or goods.
●	Multiple passenger carriers which are usually designed/purpose-built for fare payers, such as taxis.

First-time car buyers are consumers who don’t have car but intend to buy one over the next 12 months. 

Non-first time car buyers are consumers who already own cars and are planning buy another car. 

Mintel divides consumers into three groups based on their monthly household income (MHI) and residential city.

FIGURE 1: Definition of different monthly household income groups, by city tier
 
	Sample size 	Tier one cities 	Tier two and three cities 	
Low MHI	1,000	MHI = RMB5,000-9,999	MHI = RMB4,000-7,999	
Middle MHI	1,000	MHI = RMB10,000-15,999	MHI = RMB8,000-13,999	
High MHI	1,000	MHI >= RMB16,000	MHI >= RMB14,000	

Source: Mintel