GM, Ford post record August sales in China

6 September 2012

General Motors and its joint ventures set a new August sales mark in China, with sales rising 7.3% from the previous August and 10.8% from July to 220,996 units. Ford China also posted its highest-ever August sales, with 48,631 wholesale units sold, up 39% from last year.

GM. All three of GM’s key manufacturing joint ventures set sales records for the month. Shanghai GM’s domestic sales were up 11.7% on an annual basis to 110,209 units. SAIC-GM-Wuling’s sales in China rose 3.4% to 106,500 units. FAW-GM’s domestic sales increased 17.4% to 4,117 units.

Buick sales in China were up 2.8% on an annual basis to 57,603 units, an all-time high for August. It was once again led by the original Excelle family, which had sales of 22,881 units, followed by the Excelle XT and GT, which had sales of 15,036 units—an increase of 33.0%. In addition, sales of the Regal were up 17.7% on an annual basis to 7,186 units.

Chevrolet sales in China also set an August record of 53,207 units, up 14.7% year on year. Sales of the Cruze totaled 20,043 units. Demand for the Sail rose 40.6% to an August record 16,176 units. Sales of the Malibu, which was introduced in February, set an all-time monthly record of 6,443 units.

Cadillac sold 2,104 units in China during August. Demand for the SRX luxury utility vehicle totaled 1,584 units.

Wuling sales in China set an August record of 99,790 units, an increase of 4.1 percent on an annual basis.

During the January-August period, GM and its joint ventures in China sold 1,837,546 vehicles, an increase of 11.2% year on year and a record for the period. Shanghai GM’s sales in China grew 7.1% to 846,822 units. SAIC-GM-Wuling’s domestic sales grew 15.6% to 950,621 units. FAW-GM’s domestic sales decreased 1.0% to 36,668 units.

Ford China. Strong demand for the all New Ford Focus helped Ford set a new sales record in China last month, up 39% year-on-year. Year to date, Ford China has sold 368,513 wholesale units, up 8% from January - August 2011.

Sales of Ford-brand passenger cars—which include the imported Ford Edge—reached a record high for August, up 65% with 33,640 wholesale units sold.

Demand for the Ford Mondeo remained strong last month, with sales up 44% in August having sold 4,594 wholesale units, an increase of 12% for the year. The Ford Edge—now equipped with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine that delivers up to 20% better fuel economy and 15% CO₂ emission reductions—continues to attract Chinese consumers, with sales up 94% for the year.

Sales of Ford-brand passenger cars at Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA), Ford’s passenger car joint venture partner in China, reached 33,017 wholesale units in August, up 63% from August 2011.

Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC), Ford’s commercial vehicle investment in China, sold 14,991 wholesale units in August, holding steady compared to the same period last year.