SUVs Becoming Popular in China

As SUV sales plunge in the Western market, they are currently comparatively hotter among Chinese.

In order to cope with customer demands on oil efficiency, many automakers are turning their SUVs into 'greener' models without sacrificing power or speed.

Let's take a closer look with reporter Liu Min.

SUV, a word born of American blood, is becoming more and more popular in the Chinese market. But for people who enjoy driving on the roads, strong power and fuel efficiency never seem to go hand in hand.

Car makers are racking their brains to develop stylish, affordable yet powerful sports utility vehicles. For example, the newly launched Mazda CX-7.

Mazda Marketing Manager Pu Hongsheng:

"The new SUV we are promoting now only consumes 9.4 liters of fuel per one hundred kilometers. We believe this is the lowest among all our competitors."

Larger space is also the merit that customers hope to gain in an SUV. The domestic produced Tihuan has adjusted their characteristics on structures to meet with the Chinese customers' appetites.

Liu Jingkang is the director of Volkswagen Corporation based in Shanghai.

"After we adjusted the internal structure, the seats are more comfortable with more space. But it doesn't affect the capacity of the trunk, so the car meets customers' demands."

According to the National Information Center's statistics, the sales of SUVs in the Chinese market had surged by 58% from 1998 to 2002. After 2005, the Chinese domestic market for SUVs grew rapidly.

Industry insiders predict that the SUV market's growth in 2010 will be higher than sedan cars. But the compact, fuel efficient SUV will be more popular than the sporty alternative.

Jin Xin is the manager of Audi's Branch Company based in China. Their Audi Q5, a compact SUV, is to launch a new manufacturing line based in China with a much lower price than that in Europe.

Jin Xin talks about the SUV's development trend:

"In the past SUVs were usually the top choices to drive in the countryside. But later they became adjustable to city roads. Future SUV development will focus on smaller engines, but with enough power to meet drivers' demands, plus with lower emissions. The 2.0 TFSI engine in the Audi Q5 can guarantee its power and save fuel at the same time."

Experts estimate that the future development trend of SUV products will be the Crossover SUV, taking the traditional luxury car and combining it with the advantages of an SUV.

This kind of SUV will show great control of performance and provide a unique driving experience. Such typical Crossover SUVs are the Honda CR-V, the BMW X3, the Volvo XC60, the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Ford Escape and the Audi Q5. Renault, PSA is also speeding up the race in the Crossover SUV market. This global fashion of the Crossover SUV is now advancing into the Chinese SUV market.

For China Drive, I'm Liu Min.