Local brands losing traction

Share continues to shrink in the fierce low-priced market

As foreign brands build more low-priced models at their local joint ventures, Chinese carmakers are feeling the squeeze.

According to statistics from China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the 3.63 million passenger cars sold by domestic brands in the first six months of the year represented 37.68 percent of the market, a decline of 3.48 percentage points from the same period last year.