CHANG'An AG sees 20% sales jump

CHANG'An Automobile Group said yesterday that it expects sales to increase 20 percent to 850,000 units this year.

The forecast came after the company sold 708,700 vehicles last year, an increase of 12 percent from 2005. Exports rose 43.3 percent to 21,725 units during the same period.

The sales spurt helped Chang'an become China's fourth-biggest auto manufacturer and caused its revenue to jump 43.83 percent to 43.2 billion yuan, the Chongqing, Sichuan Province-based car maker said

Xu Liuping, president of Chang'an Group, said in a January 12 interview that passenger cars contributed the most to the company's sales achievements last year.

Chang'an has cooperated with Ford Motor Corp in China in setting up the Chang'an Ford Mazda Sales Co Ltd in Chongqing, where it assembles Mondeo, Focus, Mazda 3 and Volvo S40 sedans.

Chang'an, one of China's specialists in small-engine minivans, has been increasing its capability to produce more passenger cars for higher profit margins.