China Auto Sales Posts Slowest Growth in 13 Years in 2011

BEIJING, Jan. 13 -- China's automobile sales managed to gain 2.45 percent year-on-year to 18.50 million units last year, the slowest growth in 13 years, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said Thursday.

Automobile output edged up 0.84 percent from a year earlier to 18.42million units in 2011, the CAAM said.

In breakdown, sales of passenger cars last year reached 14.47 million units, up 5.19 percent from a year earlier, while passenger vehicle output rose 4.23 percent year-on-year to 14.48 million units.

Commercial vehicle sales and output both declined by 6.31 percent year-on-year and 9.94 percent to 4.03 million units and 3.93 million units, respectively.

Sales of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and multipurpose vehicles (MPVs) rose much faster last year, with sales of SUVs and MPVs up 20.19 percent and 11.74 percent to 1.59 million units and 497,700 units,, respectively, according to the CAAM.

China's finished auto exports surged to a historic high of 814,300 units, up 49.45 percent from a year earlier.