A new world order in global automotive sales is taking shape as the combined share of the so-called "emerging" markets has surpassed economically mature regions, a trend led largely by growth in China, according to a recent report by market research firm JD Power and Associates.
Light vehicle sales in emerging markets last year comprised 51 percent of global sales, and the portion is expected to increase steadily to 60 percent in 2015, the report said.
Mature markets in United States, Western Europe and Japan will only return to pre-recession sales levels by 2015, and during that period they will be overshadowed by exponential growth in China, India, Brazil and Russia, said John Humphrey, senior vice-president of automotive operations at JD Power and Associates.