Statistics from Suzhou Vehicle Administration Authorities show that by end of July, the total number of cars registered in the city reached 925,500, an increase of 98,800 compared with the end of 2008. Just over three-quarters of the total, or 704,400 cars, were privately owned, making Suzhou number one in Jiangsu province in terms of car ownership. The number of cars in the city has increased seven-fold in as many years.

Car ownership levels have continued to grow across China, and particularly in the interior. This has boosted the financial performance of major domestic carmakers such as Chongqing Changan Automobile, whose net profit in the first half of 2009 rose 18.4 per cent year-on-year to Rmb533m. During the period, it sold 660,219 vehicles, up 35 per cent from a year earlier, higher than the national industry growth of 17.7 percent.