US auto giant General Motors said Thursday its Chinese joint ventures had sold more than 1.03 million vehicles in China last year, a record annual sales mark in the country by a global automaker.
Sales rose 18.5 percent over 2006, powered by its mini-van venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp and Wuling Motors, it said in a statement.
SAIC-GM-Wuling sold 548,945 units, while GM's flagship venture with SAIC, Shanghai GM, chipped in 479,427.
“Despite growing competition across the board, demand remained robust for our established products such as the Buick Excelle and LaCrosse and the Chevrolet Lova,” GM China Group President and Managing Director Kevin Wale said in the statement.
The record sales figure made GM the sales leader in China among global automakers for the third straight year, the statement added.
“In order to keep up with market demand, we plan to add to what is already the largest product lineup with the roll-out of several additional models in 2008,” Wale said.
“At the same time, we will continue to strengthen our investment in new facilities and technology.”
GM has announced ambitious plans to further boost its presence in China, now the world's second-largest auto market after the United States.
In October it planned to build a 250-million-dollar alternative fuel research centre in Shanghai which will conduct research into alternative fuels and vehicles, it said.
GM also announced that it would begin selling a hybrid vehicle model in China this year using locally made engines.
