According to statistics of NBS, the output of saloon car reached 2261.4 thousand in 2004, up by 10.2 percent over the previous year. Of the total, the output in December was 166.1 thousand, down by 18.3 percent compared with the same month of the previous year.

The year of 2004 was the most fluctuating year for the last decade in saloon car production. The growth rates for the four quarters were 36. 9, 32, -2.2 and –16.4 percent respectively. The growth rate for the whole year of 2004 was only 10.2 percent, a far gap from 50 percent in 2002 and 80 percent in 2003. Among the 14 major saloon car producers, only one’s production exceeded the planed production set down in the beginning of 2004. One or two major producers only accomplished 50 percent of their production plan.

Nearly half regions’ saloon car output declined. Among the 21 saloon car producing regions, 11 regions’ output increased, 10 regions declined. The top five places in saloon car output were Shanghai, 549.9 thousand, Jilin, 36.8 thousand, Guangdong, 266.5 thousand, Tianjin, 219.8 thousand, and Beijing, 182.2 thousand. Of which, the output in Beijing increased 1.5 times, sprung up from 9 to 5 in saloon car output rank. The top four had no change, but for the top two, Shanghai and Jilin, down by 6.5 and 4 percent, because of the influence of Volkswagon in the North and South.

Influenced by the cooling down of the saloon car market, the expanding enthusiasm of saloon car producers sharply reduced. There were 33 saloon car producers in China in 2004, only increased one producer, far lower than that in 2003, which added 12 producers. The actual utilization rate of saloon car production capacity in the whole country was only 70 percent. Such kind of situation will be difficult to change in 2005. The actual utilization rate of saloon car production capacity will still wander in the low level.

Attached data table: the output of saloon car, cargos and motorcycles in December 2004