SAIC Motor May sales up 26.1% to 289,239 vehicles

SAIC Motor Corp., China's largest auto maker by output, said Tuesday it sold 289,239 vehicles in May, up 26.1% from the same month last year.

SAIC's total output in May was 292,885 units, up 32.6% from a year earlier, the company also said in a statement.

Shanghai General Motors Co., SAIC's joint venture with General Motors Co., sold 83,303 vehicles in May, up 48.7% from a year earlier, while Shanghai Volkswagen, the company's joint venture with Volkswagen AG (VLKAY), sold 73,539 vehicles in May, up 29.0% from a year earlier, the statement said.

China overtook the U.S. in 2009 as the world's largest auto market, after its vehicle sales rose 46% to 13.6 million units, driven by robust economic growth and supportive government measures. But analysts say the country's car market is likely to cool this year after last year's strong gains.