MEXICO CITY - The growing popularity of Chinese sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks has shaken up Mexico's luxury car market, hitting sales of traditionally dominant brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
According to the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors , the high-end segment of the market registered a sales drop of 8.1 percent from January to November. Traditionally, the premium segment included sedan-type vehicles with luxury engines and top-of-the-range features. Miguel Reyes, a 71-year-old retiree, said that choosing a Chinese car over others was"simple arithmetic."
According to Gerardo Gomez, an expert at the data and analytics company J.D. Power, there are around 30 Chinese brands in Mexico, with vehicles ranging from compacts to luxury cars. BYD offers an electric pickup truck for more than a million pesos but also a compact car for $17,000.AFP | ALFREDO ESTRELLA
Canadian officials have accused Mexico of being a springboard for Chinese products in the region -- a claim denied by Mexican authorities.