Toyota zooms ahead

SHANGHAI: Toyota Motor Corp said yesterday it sold 21 percent more cars in China in 2009 compared with a year earlier, lagging rival General Motors' 67 percent gain.

Toyota, which competes with Honda Motor and others, sold 709,000 cars in China in 2009, up from 585,000 units a year earlier, it said in a statement.

That compared with 1.83 million vehicles GM sold in China last year, which also includes 1.06 million mini vans, pick-up trucks made at SAIC-GM-Wuling, its three-way venture with SAIC Motor Corp and Liuzhou Wuling Automobile.