China SUV sales surge as drivers seeking safety on roads turn to bigger cars

Beijing

CHINESE drivers are rushing to buy sport-utility vehicles (SUV) in an "arms race" for safety on the country's hair-raising roads, analysts say, as SUV sales hit the gas despite a slowing economy.

SUV purchases in the world's number one car market surged more than 50 per cent in the first quarter of 2016 from a year earlier, while sedan sales fell 9.3 per cent, according to industry data. "The primary reason is a fairly primitive one," says Robin Zhu, car analyst at Sanford C Bernstein in Hong Kong. "It's about survival.