Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp overtook First Automobile Works to become China's largest in terms of all-vehicle sales. It benefited from successful new models and popular mid-end cars

China's first quarter sales topped 1.27 million vehicles - a 29 percent year-on-year rise, according to statistics from China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Chongqing-based Changan Auto shook the rankings, replacing Dongfeng as the third-largest vehicle seller in the period by selling 133,838 units against Dongfeng's 126,883 units.

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, last year's biggest car seller, posted a 29 percent year-on-year rise in sales in the first quarter, selling more than 230,000 sedans, multiple-purpose vehicles and vans.

While, Changchun-based FAW reached 223,100-unit sales with 14.87 percent year-on-year rise in the period.

"Shanghai Automotive and Changan showed better performance in the period with new models and more market-catered vehicles, so they overtook," said Yale Zhang, Director of Emerging Markets Vehicle Forecasts under CSM Asia Corp.

"China's automotive industry will see frequent changes in the coming years as better performance in a certain period brings higher rank," said Zhang.

He pointed out that Shanghai Automotive rose because of the outstanding business from its two joint ventures with General Motors and Volkswagen.

Shanghai GM reported first quarter sales doubled from a year earlier to 68,000 units. The maker of the Buick series said recently that it raised manufacturing capacity to more than 21,000 units a month to meet the thirsty demand. People still need to wait up to two months to get an Excelle, one of the best sellers in the mid-end market. In China this model's first quarter sales were 22,376 units.

In the same period, Shanghai VW was positioned as the country's biggest car seller as a single automotive company by selling more than 100,000 units, covering the Santana series, Polo, Passat and Gol. The heavy-weight Santana 3000 Conqueror, with decade-long brand fame in China, was launched early last month and stunned the industry by selling more than 13,000 units last month, a record for a new car's debut month in China.

Shanghai Automotive launched its first multiple-purpose vehicle Istana from its Huizhong Automotive unit this year. It expects its sedan sales to rise to 740,000 units in this year, 143,000 units more than last year.

Source: Shanghai Daily