The sharp decline in fortunes hitting global volume car brands in China is starting to be repeated among premium brands, including Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.
Premiums brands typically derive a much greater share of their overall sales from the world’s largest market than than volume players do – more than a third of them in the case of Audi.
Until recently, they were relatively insulated from the brutal price war being waged by ever-improving Chinese brands fighting to capture market share. Brand power was the protective insulating material.
However, their sales are skidding downward this year, sending a shiver through boardrooms as executives work out whether this is a blip attributable to the overall lower consumer confidence in China or the start of a longer downward trend.