(Yicai Global) March 10 -- Almost 30 vehicle marques, including BMW, BYD, and Honda, have lowered their prices as China's car price war intensifies.

The highest discount during this round of price reductions exceeds CNY100,000 (USD14,350), and the first movers are companies and regional dealers that cut prices directly or offer insurance subsidies, Chengdu Business Daily reported.

Industry insiders said to Chengdu Business Daily that manufacturers are basically "offering more discounts for cars hard to sell" in order to reduce inventory.

The group includes some big names. BYD announced yesterday that discounts for electric sport-utility vehicle Song Plus and sedan Seal vary from CNY6,800 (USD976) to CNY8,800, a decrease of about 4 percent.

BMW dealers said the maximum discount for the BMW i3, an electric hatchback, can reach CNY100,000, down by more than 20 percent from the original price to cost as little as CNY250,000 in Shanghai.

Meanwhile, SAIC Audi has recently launched its employee car purchasing program, offering discounts ranging from CNY70,000 to CNY160,000 (USD10,045 to USD22,966) for Audi A7L, Q6, Q5 E-Tron, and other models.

With the support of Hubei's provincial government, Dongfeng Motor presents buyers with subsidies for 58 models involving seven brands, and the largest of them covers more than 50 percent of the guidance price.

FAW Group said that from March 1, it will provide car buyers with a total of CNY150 million (USD22 million) in subsidies in Jilin province, where its headquarters is located. The program covers brands such as Hongqi, Jiefang, Besturn, FAW-Volkswagen, FAW Audi, FAW Toyota, and Jetta, with a maximum discount of CNY37,000 (USD5,310) per car.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi