SAIC tops China carmakers in Sept vehicle sales

Shanghai, October 26 (Gasgoo.com) SAIC Motor took top slot among Chinese automakers in terms of vehicle sales both in September (with 260,000 units) and in the January-September period (with 1.94 million units), Xinhua News reported today.

China's auto sales hit a monthly high of 1.33 million units in September, up 77.88% from a year earlier, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The combined sales of the top 10 automakers, led by SAIC Motor and FAW Group, reached 1.13 million units, taking up 85% of China's total.

In the first nine months, the country's auto sales went up 34.24% from the previous year's same period to 9.66 million units. The combined sales of the top 10 car companies amounted to 8.21 million units during the nine months, accounting for 85% of China's total.

SAIC Motor's sales in September rose 90.7% from a year earlier to 260,000 vehicles. Sales of passenger cars totaled 150,000 vehicles, with sales at Shanghai GM edging up 99% to 71,000 units and Shanghai VW up 83% to 70,000 units. Sales of its own brand vehicles soared 109% to 9,000 units.

In the commercial vehicle sector, SAIC Motor's September sales rose 91% to 103,800 units, with SAIC-GM-Wuling and Nanjing IVECO each selling 95,000 and 8,800 vehicles, up 97% and 72%, respectively.

SAIC's sales for the third-quarter rose 92% to 720,000 vehicles, and sales for the first nine months climbed 47% to 1.94 million units, exceeding the company's full-year sales of 2008.