Small displacement luxury cars will be

　　It begins to change that Chinese people like to demonstrate status by the engine displacement of their cars. In traditional luxury car area, a new trend has emerged, that is small displacement luxury cars will lead the luxury market in the future.

　　Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz S600 Mercedes-Benz S600 and BMW 7 series were all once the synonymous of luxury cars. It is a unique contribution of Chinese market that more luxurious cars with larger displacements are more popular.

　　Even now, Mercedes is still saying “China is the world’s largest market of S-class”. However, from the sales data of the first half of this year, the sales of lower-emission luxury cars began to increase significantly. It is so obvious a trend since the whole luxury car market is growing just quite steadily. Certainly, it is also seen as a big strike to the traditional large displacement luxury car market.

　　In the high-level B-class vehicle market, from January to June this year, Audi A4L, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C class increased 95%, 131% and 68% respectively. Among them, the supply of Mercedes-Benz C-class is far from adequate to the demand. In contrast, the benchmark Audi A6 luxury car only gained a year on year growth of 28%, lower than the overall growth rate of the luxury car segment and that of passenger cars.

　　This trend is caused by two reasons: first, consumers to buy luxury cars are younger; second, the effects of low-emission cars incentive policies are deepening. The deeper reason behind is that “low-carbon idea” become a new fashion. People no longer believe that buying a big car is worth being pride of. More and more people tend to buy luxury brands are willing to choose smaller displacement products.

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　　This is why the FAW-Volkswagen-Audi began planning the introduction of medium-sized hatchback A3 as early as three years ago but did not enter the Chinese market until this year. In the German view, the A3 has been launched in Europe as early as 1996 has no appeal in China three years ago. At that time Chinese people think that more money should be used to buy bigger cars with larger displacements. “big” was the only standard for luxury, just like earlier, the Chinese people's pursuit of a huge rear-projection TVs. They did not care about whether the screen is clear and the experience of viewing. All buying behaviors are to meet others’ views instead of satisfying themselves.

　　Time has changed things, new concept of consumption “small is beautiful” is slowly forming. Even in the large-size market segment, the car manufacturers are also beginning to introduce more small-displacement products to meet this new consumer trends. The transformed Lexus ES series products and the Audi Q73.0T models to be imported are very good examples.

　　Obviously, it is a more optimal consumption structure that we have every reason to cheer for it. This trend seems coincident with the topic about the development of China’s middle class because better education and limited incomes are the signs of middle class, who will be the mainstream of the future luxury car market. They will care about both the brands and their purse. After all, as China is still a developing country, it is never such a good thing to win the champion in terms of top luxury car sales.

　　(Translator: Yalong/Jessie)

　　See original Chinese report Please click: http://auto.sohu.com/20100726/n273755444.shtml