GM says China sales up 68 percent in March

[April 20, 2010]  SHANGHAI (AP) -- General Motors Co. and its joint ventures say their sales jumped 68 percent in March over a year earlier to a new monthly record.

The 230,048 GM vehicles sold in March in China set a record for the 15th straight month, the company said Friday.

Sales in the first quarter surged 71 percent to 623,546 units, GM said in a statement.

Sales of Buicks, Chevrolets and Cadillacs made at its flagship Shanghai GM joint venture jumped 89 percent from the same month last year to 86,967 units in March. Demand also is strong for minivans due to government subsidies and sales tax cuts.

"While demand has grown for most of our product lines, we have seen particularly strong interest in GM's newest passenger car models, the Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet New Sail and Buick Excelle XT," said Kevin Wale, president and managing director of the GM China Group.

GM's mini-vehicle joint venture, SAIC-GM-Wuling, reported sales growth of 43 percent to 129,489 units.

FAW-GM, GM's new light duty truck joint venture, sold 13,200 vehicles, the company said.

China has offered GM and other global automakers growth potential not to be found in older major markets. In the United States, GM reported 21 percent jump in sales in March to 188,546 units.

[Associated Press]

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