Article updated: 5/12/2013 6:32 AM

China's struggling automakers jump on SUV boom

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A model poses with a Great Wall H7 SUV at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (AUTO Shanghai) media day in Shanghai, China. SUV sales in China rose 20 percent last year to 2.5 million vehicles, more than double the 8 percent growth of the overall auto market, according to LMC Automotive. SUVs made up 18 percent of all vehicles sold. Great Wall Motor Co., has become the Chinese industry's breakout success on the strength of its SUVs. The company, headquartered in Baoding, an industrial city southwest of Beijing, said SUV sales in the first three months of the year rose 95 percent over a year earlier and accounted for half the 180,000 vehicles it sold.

Associated Press/April 2013

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A model poses with the new Landwind X5 SUV at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (AUTO Shanghai) media day in Shanghai, China. SUV sales in China rose 20 percent last year to 2.5 million vehicles, more than double the 8 percent growth of the overall auto market, according to LMC Automotive. SUVs made up 18 percent of all vehicles sold.

Associated Press/April 2013

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BYD is known for electric cars but this year's flagship model is the S7, a gasoline-powered SUV. It comes with an interior air purifier, radar to help with backing and digital TV. An onboard hard drive can hold 1,000 films. This is China's Year of the SUV. Whatever their specialties used to be, automakers ranging from global brands to China's ambitious rookies are scrambling to cash in on the explosive popularity of sport utility vehicles.