Chery Auto sales in May up 43%, exports up 259%

Shanghai, June 10 (Gasgoo.com) Chery Auto, the biggest Chinese-brand carmaker, said this week that its sales in May increased 43% from a year earlier to 52,410 vehicles, and the company posted strong growth in exports, media reported.

In the first five months of the year, Chery Auto sold 268,400 vehicles, a sales figure which posts a big challenge for the company to achieve its target of selling 700,000 to 900,000 vehicles this year. Its sales in April came to 52,379 vehicles.

In May, Chery still kept a robust overseas sales growth, with its exports surging 259% year on year to 8,053 vehicles, leading Chinese automakers in the month's exports.

With its 2 millionth vehicle rolling of the production line on March 26, Chery Auto has become the fifth largest maker of passenger vehicles in China. It is also the country's first home-grown automaker that has produced 2 million cars.

Chery sold 500,000 cars in 2009 and expects its sales to reach 900,000 units this year by launching 17 new models under its three brands, including the Chery M14 sports car, Riich G3 and G6 sedans, and Rely X5 SUV.