Chery Auto Q1 sales up 74.6% to 163,548 vehicles

Shanghai, April 16 (Gasgoo.com) China's leading independent automaker Chery Automobile Co, Ltd. sold a record 163,548 vehicles in the first quarter, up 74.6% from a year earlier, making the company more confident of reaching its sales goal for this year.

The carmaker's first-quarter sales included exports of 16,645 vehicles, a year-on-year surge of 355%. Chery's Q1 exports made up 38% of all Chinese carmakers, which exported a total of 43,876 units in the period, up 123%. Chery had seven models in China's Q1 top 15 most exported car models.

On March 26, Chery Auto had its 2 millionth vehicle, a Rely SUV, roll off the production line and became China's first independent automaker with output breaking the 2-million mark. Chery, based in Wuhu city of eastern China's Anhui province, produced its first car in December 1999.

Chery Auto sold 500,000 motor vehicles in 2009, and expects its sales to reach 900,000 vehicles this year. Its vehicle products have been exported to more than 80 countries and regions.

The year the company will launch 17 new models under its three brands, including the M14 sports car and Fulwin hatchback of the Chery brand, the G3 and G6 of Riich, the X5 and H5 of Rely.

The company has said that it will bring more than 30 vehicle models to the Beijing auto show later this month.