China's sedan car output surged 73.8 per cent to a record 94,900 last month as manufacturers increased production in anticipation of continuing robust demand.
The output and year-on-year growth figures were the highest yet reported, with the stronger yen making domestic models more affordable in comparison to Japanese imports, the State Statistical Bureau said yesterday.
Almost all 17 car-makers in the mainland, including foreign-funded joint ventures, reported strong production growth, it said.
First Automotive Works Volkswagen Automobile reported output growth of 80 per cent for sedan cars last month over a year earlier. The joint venture between China's biggest car company and the world's fourth-largest car-maker, is now China's most successful car venture. It produces Jetta cars.
In the first seven months of this year, mainland manufacturers produced about 523,500 sedan cars, up 39.04 per cent over the same period last year.
Passenger cars now account for 25 per cent of vehicle sales in China - compared with about 70 per cent in developed economies.
In the first half of this year, 470,200 passenger cars were sold, up 36.21 per cent over the same period last year, helped by price-cutting, the introduction of new models and the entrance of first-time buyers. Last year 721,500 passenger cars were sold.