Lower-tier cities set to fuel auto market growth for decade

Increasing wages and aspirations could result in up to 10 years of expansion, with SUVs sales expected to dominate

The world's largest automobile market could continue expanding for a further decade, fuelled by the increasing incomes and aspirations of residents in China's lower-tier cities.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers made its prediction that the new car market volume could touch 29.4 million units this year, at round 5 percent annual growth from 28.1 million units in 2016, at a news conference on Thursday in Beijing.