SUVs, minivans set to scorch Chinese roads

The combination of affluence, cheap fuel, second-child policy encourages drivers to shun feature-poor sedans

Li Yechen waited four months for his sold-out SUV to arrive at a Chinese auto dealer. He was determined to buck tradition and bypass the trusty sedan that's a hallmark of the nation's highways.

The 21-year-old building designer from Hangzhou bought the SUV from Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd for 163,000 yuan ($23,500). The Bo Yue model he chose comes with warning systems for forward collisions and for abrupt lane changes, features that swayed Li to go bigger.