General Motors hits 2 million units in China in single year

If there was any doubt about the strength of General Motors in China, those uncertainties have been cast aside as the automaker announces 2 million units in China in one year.

“This is another important milestone for General Motors in China,” said Kevin Wale, president and managing director of the GM China Group.

“It was only three years ago that GM became the first global automaker to reach the 1 million annual sales mark in China.”

The past decade has seen the Asian juggernaut’s vehicle market explode in growth thanks to a growing economy and eased restrictions on outside companies.

In 2007, GM and its joint ventures sold 1,031,974 vehicles in China. Last year saw the Detroit-based giant move 1,826,424 vehicles in the world's most populous country.

Wale said that expansion to the lineup and adding to the “portfolio of services” including increasing production capacity has helped the automaker take advantage of the changing consumer needs.
 
October sales of Shanghai GM’s Buick brand jumped 35.7 percent on an annual basis to 54,490 units. Demand for both the new LaCROSSE and Excelle family rose more than 40 percent year on year.

Chevrolet from Shanghai GM finished first in the recently published 2010 China Automobile Aftersales Customer Satisfaction (CAACS) Index.

Cadillac sales were also strong, totaling 1,716 units in October. The SRX luxury utility vehicle accounted for nearly half of Cadillac sales during the month.

Sales in China by SAIC-GM-Wuling, GM’s mini-commercial vehicle joint venture, rose 5.1 percent on an annual basis in October to 93,935 units. FAW-GM, GM’s light commercial vehicle joint venture, sold 6,505 vehicles in October.

For the first 10 months as a whole, sales by GM and its joint ventures in China were up 35.5 percent on an annual basis to 1,976,913 units.