Dongfeng Nissan JV to sell 1 mln vehicles this year

Shanghai, February 8 (Gasgoo.com) Nissan Motor, 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, two years ahead of schedule, media reported.

Sales of Nissan-brand cars in China last year rose 48% to a record 518,968 units. Four models - the Teana, Sylphy, Tiida and Livina produced by Dongfeng Motor Co. joint venture proved to be especially successful last year, each seeing monthly sales of over 10,000 units.

Last month, Nissan said its sales in the Chinese market, including those of its Infiniti luxury brand, rose 39% in 2009 to 756,000 vehicles. Its China venture aims to sell 600,000 passenger cars and 400,000 trucks and buses in China this year.

Nissan's China venture now has two passenger car plants with combined capacity of about 460,000 units. It also has a 240,000-unit facility under construction that will be completed by 2012.

Vehicle sales in China last year surged 46.2% to 13.6 million units, boosted by tax cuts and subsidies. China's auto sales this year are expected to rise about 10% to 15 million units.