Shanghai GM April sales up 35% to 55,246 units

Shanghai, May 5 (Gasgoo.com) Last month, Shanghai GM, General Motors' passenger vehicle joint venture in China, saw its sales rise 34.7% from the same month last year to 55,245 units, the company said in a statement today. Sales were driven by demand for its Buick brand, which rose 63.6% to 38,071 vehicles.

The Buick brand maintained its sales growth to 38,071 units in April. Sales of the Buick Excelle sedan, which is available with a 1.6-liter engine, rose more than 120% to 22,078 units. And the Buick LaCrosse, Buick mid- to high-end sedan sold more than 10,000 units.

The launch of the Buick Regal mid-size sedan in March and the Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan in April also boosted Shanghai GM's sales last month. The Chevrolet brand sold 16,542 cars in April, and the newly launched Chevy Cruze has become a new growth model, with 3,739 units sold and over 5,000 units ordered in less than two weeks.

Sales at GM's mini-commercial vehicle joint venture SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. rose 60.6% from a year earlier to 95,544 units. GM's strong performance in China contrasts with sales in its home U.S. market, which slumped 33% from a year earlier in April to 172,150 units.

The popularity of GM's smaller vehicles in China testifies to the effectiveness of Chinese government's measures to boost auto demand, said an industry analyst. In January, China halved the purchase tax on vehicles with engines 1.6 liters and less to 5%.