Subaru lifts China sales target to 15,000 units in 2008

Shanghai, June 4 (Gasgoo.com) Subaru plans to raise its sales target this year to 15,000 vehicles in China from 12,000 as announced in January, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Wednesday.

"We hope all of the additional sales growth will come from the new Forester ," said Kei Ono, Managing Director of Subaru China, adding that around 2,000 customers have already placed orders for the model so far this year.

Subaru sold 7,000 vehicles in China in the first five months of this year. Last year the Japanese automaker sold about 9,250 vehicles in China. "What concerns us most is the lack of capacity rather than the sales target," Kei Ono noted.

But Kei Ono also said China is still the sixth largest market for Subaru, only accounting for 2% of brand's global sales currently. "We expect China to become the fourth largest market for us by 2009," he said.