Honda '08 China sales up 12% to 473,300 units

Shanghai, January 12 (Gasgoo.com) Honda Motor Co's vehicle sales growth in China increased by 11.7% year on year in 2008, a Reuters report said.

Honda's vehicle sales in China reached 473,297 units during the whole year, up from 423,710 units in 2007. However, its sales declined by 5% year on year in the last month to 41,851 units.

Sales by GAC Honda Automobile Co., the Japanese automaker's 50-50 joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., rose 3.7% year on year in 2008 to 306,183 vehicles. The growth was mainly spurred by demand for the new Accord sedan, sales of which rose 44.5% y/y to 170,309 units.

Sales by Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., a 50-50 venture with China's Dongfeng Motor Corp., rose 29.3% in the year to 164,216 vehicles, nearly half of of which are its CR-V vehicles whose sales grew by 76.4% y/y to 80,607 units.

Sales of the imported Acura brand vehicles totaled 2,898 units, up 106.7% from a year earlier.