Nissan car '09 China sales up 48% to 518,968 units

Shanghai, January 15 (Gasgoo.com) Nissan Motor said yesterday that its Nissan brand car sales in China last year rose 48% to a record 518,968 units from 350,520 units in 2008, Reuters reported.

The Japanese carmaker said its sales in the Chinese market, including sales of its Infiniti luxury brand, rose 39% in 2009 to 756,000 vehicles. Through its local venture, Nissan aims to sell 600,000 passenger cars in China this year, the company said earlier.

Nissan, which produces sedans and light commercial vehicles in China through a 50-50 joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group, said the JV expects to sell one million cars, trucks and buses in 2010, well ahead of its original plan to reach the milestone by 2012.

China's auto sales surged past the United States to record levels last year, helped by government tax breaks and other incentives. A total of 10.3 million passenger cars were sold in the country in 2009, up 52.9%.

In November, Nissan and its Chinese partner Dongfeng Motor signed an agreement with south China's Guangzhou city to set up an electric-car project, as part of Nissan's global effort to accelerate use of battery-powered all-electric cars.

Sales of Nissan's luxury Infiniti cars in China likely rose to 5,000 units last year from 4,060 units in 2008. The company plans to increase the number of Infiniti dealerships in China to 30 by the end of 2011, from 17 by last month.