Sales of pickup trucks in China recorded a solid growth last year, data from the China Passenger Car Association showed.
A total of some 550,000 units of pickup trucks were sold in the January-December period, up 14 percent from a year earlier, according to the association.
In December alone, pickup truck sales increased 21 percent year on year to about 59,000 units.
In terms of region-wise figures, more than 40 percent of the consumer demand for pickup trucks came from the country's northwestern and southwestern regions.
The association attributed last year's steady growth to policy support for pickup truck consumption, the release of passenger-use pickup models by some major automakers, and the development of a "pickup truck culture" in China.
The particularly low base in early 2020 also contributed to the increase in a year-on-year comparison, the association said.
According to its projections, pickup truck sales, despite being under pressure, will continue to perform well.