Passenger vehicle sales edge up in 2017

Passenger vehicles sales are expected to regain some of the lost momentum this year in China, after witnessing a decade-low growth rate during 2017.

Total number of passenger vehicles sold in the country rose to 24.2 million units in 2017 with an annual growth rate of 1.5 percent, while the total production volume grew 2.8 percent year-on-year to 24.8 million units.

"Many carmakers had no impulse to push for bigger sales in the last quarter, since they had already lowered their expectations in the second half after retail sales fell in the first quarter of 2017," said Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association.