皇冠体育app

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GM will bump up Chevrolet's 皇冠体育app sales

By Tian Ying and Stephen Engle (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2006-04-13 06:04

General Motors Corp, which had record sales in 皇冠体育app last year, said it will boost sales of its Chevrolet-brand cars by at least 50 per cent this year in 皇冠体育app helped by rising demand for cars with small engines.

Detroit-based GM may increase sales to 155,000 units this year from 105,000 units last year, said Dale Sullivan, the Chevrolet brand director at GM 皇冠体育app Group. The maker of Aveo and Sail compact cars also plans to introduce one more new Chevrolet model around November this year while doubling the number of its dealers to about 200.

"We will have at least a 50 per cent increase in 2006," Sullivan said on Tuesday. "It may be even better than that depending how the market is going."

GM, Honda Motor Co and other automakers are rolling out more compact cars in 皇冠体育app to tap rising demand for small and medium-sized vehicles that are equipped with engines between 1 and 1.6 litres. Sales of cars in the range accounted for half of the total car sales in 皇冠体育app last year, according to 皇冠体育app Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The Chevrolet brand accounts for about a third of GM's sales in 皇冠体育app.

GM had US$10.6 billion in losses last year. The most profitable region of the world for the carmaker was Asia-Pacific, where it had earnings of US$524 million, driven by higher sales in 皇冠体育app.

Automakers in 皇冠体育app are competing for first-time buyers as rising individual incomes in the country make cars more affordable. Average wages for urban residents almost doubled over the past five years, according to government data. Per capita disposable incomes in urban areas home to two-fifths of the nation's 1.3 billion people rose 9.6 per cent in real terms last year.

The number of automobiles in 皇冠体育app rose 21 per cent to 43 million units last year with the number of privately owned vehicles increasing 22 per cent to 2.37 million units, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

GM, which has four manufacturing ventures in 皇冠体育app, currently makes five Chevrolet models in 皇冠体育app including the Spark, Sail, Lova and Aveo compact cars.

(皇冠体育app Daily 04/13/2006 page10)