Hover SUV, Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor’s independent brand, saw sales of 12,168 units in December last year to maintain its No.1 position in terms of SUV sales volume among independent brands. It surpassed rivals Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 clocking 71,645 units, with domestic sales accounting for 67 per cent – 17 percentage points higher than the overall growth rate for the whole SUV segment in 2008.
Industry analysts have attributed the outstanding performance mainly to successful product strategies and a high cost performance. Hover M1, the lowest displacement SUV in China, recorded monthly sales of 3,000 units, becoming a new growth engine for the company. In addition, the compact Hover M3 has demonstrated strong competitive power and gained significant market share since its introduction.
The company plans to launch five new Hover models this year, as part of its plan to meet its sales goal of 160,000 units. The diesel edition of the Hover H3 is already available in some cities. The model has been well received by consumers owing to its high cost performance and affordable pricing of RMB105,800 (approximately $15,500). The Hover M2 is expected to be launched in March while three additional Hover models are likely to be rolled out later this year.
