New-Vehicle Wholesales Rose 4% in China

Producers in China wholesaled 2.54 million vehicles in March, up from 2.44 million units in the same month in 2016, says the China Assn. of Automobile Manufacturers.

Passenger car sales to dealers advanced 2% to 2.09 million units last month, even though shipments for small cars with engines displacing less than 1.6 liters were flat at 1.45 million. Demand for the small cars surged in December ahead of January’s 50% cut in a government sales tax break for such vehicles.

Car sales also have been adversely affected by a boycott of South Korean goods because of the deployment of a U.S. antimissile defense system by that country.

CAAM says March shipments of SUV/crossovers jumped 20% to 832,300 units. But sedan shipments fell 5% to 990,200 units, reflecting a global shift in consumer preferences.