GM's global sales in 2011 exceed 9m vehicles, over 25% come from China

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai February 7) - With sales performance reports for 2011 having come in from most manufacturers, it is clear that General Motors led the pack last year. According to a report appearing on ycwb.com today, GM sold a total of 2.54 million vehicles in China last year, helping immensely to contribute to its global sales total of 9.03 million vehicles. The manufacturer's strong sales performance in the US further helped it climb to the top of the international sales charts. 2011 will prove a memorable year for the Detroit-based manufacturer, who emerged from bankruptcy reorganization only two years ago.

Meanwhile, Toyota, which has held the title of top selling manufacturer worldwide for three years running, was pushed down to third place with a global sales total of 7.95 million units, 5.6 percent lower than its 2010 performance. This is the first time since 2003 Toyota placed outside of the top two. It is clear that the Japanese manufacturer's lackluster performance in China last year (883,000 units sold) was partly to blame. Of the top five manufacturers, Toyota was the only one to see its overall sales fall in 2011.

Volkswagen placed second in the global standings, with total sales of 8.16 million vehicles. The manufacturer, as usual, also performed strongly in China, selling a total of 2.26 million vehicles.

Meanwhile, Renault-Nissan and Hyundai Kia ranked as the fourth and fifth highest selling manufacturers worldwide, with total worldwide sales in 2011 of 7.39 million and 6.59 million vehicles, respectively. Their respective Chinese sales last year totaled 1.27 million and 1.23 million vehicles, further demonstrating the importance of the country in the global automobile industry.