Demand for local autos through the roof in 2016

GAC Motor Ltd, a division of the Hong Kong- and Shanghai-listed Guangzhou Automobile Group Co, reported record-high sales performance in the first eight months of 2016, amid a slow-growth domestic market, according to the company.

GAC Motor sold 226,000 vehicles from January to August, a year-on-year increase of 148 percent, making it achieve its whole-year sales target four months ahead of schedule.

"The big sales volume is a signal of the improving brand and quality of Chinese homegrown vehicles," said Yu Jun, general manager of GAC Motor.

Vehicle sales in the Chinese market grew only by 11.4 percent year-on-year in the first eight months, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

In August alone, GAC Motor sold more than 30,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 103 percent, according to the company.

Sales of GAC Motor's star GS4 model, with its 1.5T version launched in March, surpassed 26,000 units in August.

"We will launch more varieties in the years ahead to meet the growing demand for homegrown vehicles," said Yu.

With its second automation-equipped assembly line, which was put into operation in July, GAC Motor's production capacity will expand to 400,000 vehicles per year, according to the company.

Online presales of the company's new SUV model, GS8, have surpassed 3,000. It is due to be officially launched in October.

(China Daily 09/14/2016 page14)