Automotive: Shanghai lounge opens, in the slowdown … – Boursorama

BMW X5 is presented Shanghai April 20, 2015 (AFP / JOHANNES EISELE)

The Shanghai Motor Show opened its doors Monday, offering an essential showcase for major manufacturers, for whom China is crucial despite of a sharp slowdown in auto sales in the country, the world market.

In addition to this gigantic event –organisé alternately in Beijing and Shanghai, which attracts every year hundreds of thousands of visitors -, professionals showed cautiously optimistic

“It’s always an incredible market It will also increase more quickly than before, but it continues to experience stronger growth than n.! ‘any other major car market in the world, “Jochem Heizmann emphasized, Volkswagen China boss.

In charge of the German group, shortness found simply reflects the gear shift of the second world economy The “new normal” rebalancing desired by Beijing.

After a 14% jump in 2013, auto sales in China grew by only 6.9% last year to 23.5 million vehicles. In the first quarter 2015, they rose only 3.9% yoy

In unison of a sluggish economic conditions. The Asian giant is poised to record its lowest growth for 25 years. Other penalizing element: a series of major cities, just like Shanghai, have set strict quotas registrations to curb pollution and traffic jams

What burdens on manufacturers, which continue to increase. production capacity in the country and now have to adapt their sales strategies.

“It does not surprise us and do not frighten us,” observed in Shanghai CEO of PSA Peugeot Citroën, Carlos Tavares evoking an environment “more competitive.”

Foreign manufacturers, combined with their local partners, carve the lion’s share in the country, where strictly Chinese brands still account for a good third of the market but have seen their market share significantly strengthen the first quarter, said Mr. Tavares.

Audi Q7 is unveiled Shanghai April 20, 2015 (AFP / JOHANNES EISELE)

“There are many opportunities with room for growth in the segment of SUV,” noted for his part John Lawler, Director General Ford Motor China.

Stars of the show, these urban 4×4 are extremely popular in China, where they figure family car, and resist better than the overall market, with sales inflated by 49% year on year in the first quarter.

In contrast, the sector of luxury and premium car (China dominated by the German trio of Daimler-Mercedes, Volkswagen-Audi BMW) suffers the effects of the anti-corruption campaign and anti-glitz conducted by the authorities.

Another illustration of the climate of austerity advocated by the authorities, the Shanghai Motor Show this year officially banned the use of too naked mannequins that once accompanied the presentations of manufacturers.

Copyright © 2015 AFP. All rights of reproduction and distribution reserved.

All information displayed on this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by AFP. Therefore, none of this information may be reproduced, modified, transmitted, redistributed, translated, sold, exploited commercially or used in any way without the prior written consent of AFP. AFP shall not be held responsible for delays, errors, omissions, which may not be excluded or the consequences of actions or transactions made on the basis of this information.