General Motors and its joint-ventures have just set a new first half sales record in China, tallying 1,273,502 new vehicle sales. In addition to the six-month sales record, GM also set a Chinese record for June sales.
GM’s first half China sales increased 5.3 percent over the same period a year earlier, marking the company’s fastest ever start in the world’s largest car market.
GM’s passenger cars were in hot demand during the six month period, with the automaker’s Buick and Cadillac brands seeing the largest growth. Buick’s first half sales increased 28.2 percent, thanks in large part to strong demand for the Excelle, totaling 324,919 vehicles. Cadillac’s sales shot up 88.3 percent to 14,078 units.
Sale by Shanghai GM were up 25 percent to 600,002 vehicles, but the company’s SAIC-GM-Wuling division saw sales decrease 5.4 percent to 641,324 units. The automaker’s light-duty FAW-GM commercial division struggled as demand for its vehicles dried up, posting a 38.8 percent sales decline to 30,332 units.
GM ended the first half on a good note, posting a record-setting June. GM and its joint ventures saw sales increase 9.9 percent to 193,961 during the month.
