Wuling JV still contributes most to GM China sales

Shanghai, July 15 (Gasgoo.com) Sales at SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., General Motors' mini-commercial-vehicle joint venture in China with SAIC Motor and Wuling Automobile Co., reached 99,115 units in June, up 19.7%, GM said earlier this month.

General Motors sold 176,486 vehicles in China last month, including both locally made and imported vehicles, up 23.2% from a year earlier, driven by strong demand for the company's new products. Over 56% of GM China sales in June were achieved by the Wuling venture.

Sales at Shanghai General Motors Corp. (Shanghai GM), GM's passenger-vehicle joint venture with SAIC Motor, rose 18.9% in June from a year earlier to 71,782 units, GM said. FAW-GM Light Duty Commercial Vehicle Co., which was set up in August last year, sold 5,220 units in June.

In the first six months, SAIC-GM-Wuling, making China's best-selling mini van Sunshine, remained the biggest contributor to GM China with a sales tally of 681,198 units, up 29.7%. In the first half of this year, GM's sales in China rose 48.5% from a year earlier to 1.21 million units.

Last year, the mini-vehicle venture sold 1.1 million units, up 66%, which contributed more than half of GM's total sales of 1.8 million vehicles in China. The total sales of SAIC-GM-Wuling may hit 1.23 million units this year while GM expects its China sales to top 2 million units.

SAIC-GM-Wuling will unveil its own passenger car strategy with a new brand later this month. GM has been seeking to hike its 34% stake in the company.