Honda, Toyota maintain growth; Nissan demand dips

Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. continued to post higher sales increases in China last month but Nissan Motor Co. deliveries remained bearish. 

Honda and Toyota have benefited from strong demand for gasoline-electric models, notably in China's densely urban areas.

Honda deliveries increased 2.6 percent to 140,316 in November, according to the Japanese brand’s China office. 

Through November, Honda’s local sales advanced 14 percent to top 1.41 million. 

Toyota does not disclose monthly sales for China. But according to the China Passenger Car Association, a Shanghai-based consultancy, Toyota delivered 141,539 vehicles in November, a 6.3 percent increase. 

In the first 11 months, Toyota’s China sales rose 7.4 percent to nearly 1.29 million. 

By contrast, Nissan deliveries dipped 1 percent to 148,582 last month, with year-to-date volume edging down 0.7 percent to roughly 1.38 million, according to Nissan’s China office.  

In November, overall new light-vehicle sales in China declined for the 17th consecutive month, dropping 5.4 percent to below 2.06 million. 

Among major global carmakers, only a few bucked the market downturn last month. 

In addition to Honda and Toyota, only Volkswagen Group and Hyundai Motor Co. posted higher sales in the month. 

VW group sales in China rose 5.1 percent to 419,700 in November, the company said last week. 

Deliveries at Beijing-Hyundai, Hyundai’s passenger vehicle joint venture in China, gained 3.2 percent to 84,159 last month, according to the China Passenger Car Association.