China overtakes US as Nissan's biggest market

Shanghai, June 5 (Gasgoo.com) China surpassed the United States as Nissan Motor's biggest market in April, after the company posted record China auto sales during the month, Dow Jones reported.

Sales of Nissan and Infiniti autos in China rose 37.1% in April from a year earlier to 66,339 units, Nissan (China) Investment Co. said in a statement. U.S. sales totaled 47,190 units in the month.

The strong sales in the Chinese market were boosted by sales of the Teana, which surged 276% year on year (y/y) in April to 9,003 units. Sales of Nissan-branded passenger cars totaled 47,261 units in April (compared with roughly 37,000 units in March), while light commercial vehicles totaled 18,964 units.

Sales of Nissan and Infiniti autos in China grew 16.7% y/y to 210,942 units in the first four months of this year. Nissan Motor's vehicle sales in China rose by 9% y/y in the first quarter to 144,603 units. The Japanese automaker is targeting 4.6% auto sales growth this year to 570,000 units.

Nissan Motor will launch its fourth-generation March small car in early 2010 and will introduce the five-door model to its Chinese venture Dongfeng Nissan for production. The China-made Nissan March will be rolled out in the first half of next year.

French automaker Renault and its Japanese partner Nissan said in early April that they had signed a cooperation accord with China's auto industry authorities to produce eco-friendly vehicles locally for the Chinese market.