中国市场放缓致塔塔汽车利润锐减

India’s Tata Motors unveiled a large and unexpected fall in fourth-quarter earnings as the owner of Jaguar Land Rover suffered from the effects of a slowdown in the crucial Chinese market.

印度的塔塔汽车(Tata Motors)去年4季度的利润出现了意外的大幅减少，这家捷豹路虎(Jaguar Land Rover)的所有者受到了关键的中国市场放缓的冲击。

The Mumbai-based group on Tuesday said there would be no full-year dividend for the first time since 2002 as the domestic cars and trucks unit, which has long been propped up by the more successful British stable, swung to a net loss.

周二塔塔汽车表示，今年将全年不分红，为2002年来的第一次，因为国内汽车和卡车部门出现了净亏损。该部门长期以来一直得到更成功的捷豹路虎的支撑。

Once dominant in India, Tata Motors has suffered sharp falls in market share. Amid criticism of out-of-date cars and a prolonged slowdown in the domestic commercial vehicle market, it has been reliant on the highly profitable JLR, which it bought from Ford in 2008 for £1.3bn.

曾在印度居主导地位的塔塔汽车，如今的市场份额发生了剧烈下滑。由于车型老旧受到批评以及国内商务车市场长期放缓，塔塔汽车一直依赖盈利水平很高的捷豹路虎。2008年，塔塔汽车斥资13亿英镑从福特(Ford)手中买下了捷豹路虎。

But JLR is starting to suffer the effects of a slowdown in China, the world’s biggest passenger car market and the driving force behind global carmakers’ profitability since 2010.

但捷豹路虎开始受到中国市场放缓的冲击。中国作为世界上最大的小客车市场，自2010年以来就是推动全球车企盈利的背后力量。

Premium and luxury carmakers are being affected by an official crackdown on ostentation. Industry insiders also say some Chinese consumers are putting off purchases because they think prices will come down following scrutiny of carmakers by China’s National Development and Reform Commission.

高端车与豪华车企业受到了官方打击铺张浪费的影响。行业内部人士也表示，中国消费者开始推迟购车，因为他们认为在国家发改委对车企的审查之后，车价将会下降。

But more immediately, prices are falling in China as global manufacturers react to a shift in consumer tastes towards cheap and cheerful sport utility vehicles made by domestic brands.

但更直接的影响是，塔塔汽车在中国的售价开始下降，与全球车企适应消费者口味变化是一致的——中国消费者开始更喜欢国内品牌生产的廉价的、欢快的运动型多功能车(SUV)。

Tata Motors’ shares closed down almost 2 per cent in Mumbai, ahead of the release of the results.

财报发布之前，塔塔汽车在孟买股市的股价下跌了近2%。