Chery aims to sell 419,000 vehicles this year

Shanghai, May 21 (Gasgoo.com) Chery Automobile Co, the biggest Chinese-brand car maker, aims to sell 419,000 vehicles this year, up from its sales of 356,000 units in 2008, if the current market rebound continues to boost its sales, Gasgoo.com said today, citing the automaker’s latest corporate profile.

Chery Auto, the maker of China's best-selling compact car QQ series, sold more than 140,000 vehicles in the first four months this year. Sales in April jumped 30.5% to a monthly record of 42,935 units, accounting for 11.45% of local brand passenger cars delivered in the month.

The automaker sold more than 30,000 vehicles in each month of the first quarter. In January, the company hit a monthly record by selling 35,000 vehicles, followed by 30,000 units in February and 35,000 units in March.

For the full year, Chery may strive to sell as many as 419,000 vehicles if the current market recovery is sustainable. Passenger car sales in China, the world's largest auto market, hit record levels for two straight months since March, recovering from its low in 2008, helped by the government's tax cuts on small cars and subsidies to rural buyers.

China's home-grown automakers, mostly producing small cars, are the biggest beneficiaries of the stimulus measures. A total of 425,900 local brand sedans were sold from January to March, accounting for 30% of the overall car market, up from 26% a year earlier.

Chery Auto sold 356,000 vehicles in 2008, retaining its 5th rankings among China's passenger car makers by sales in the year.