General Motors October sales in China rose 15% to a record monthly high
General Motors said vehicle sales in China rose 15% to a record monthly high in October following the Chinese government's cut to taxes for smaller cars as part of its efforts to revive its flagging economy.  This was viewed as a bright spot for China's auto market, which has struggled due to an economic slowdown.  

Melissa Burden

The Detroit News

General Motors Co. said Thursday that the company and its joint ventures sold a record 327,037 vehicles to retail customers in October in China, aided by a government program that has cut taxes on some vehicle purchases.

The automaker said its sales were up 15 percent year-over-year in October and Buick sales jumped 42 percent from a year ago. Monthly sales for the brand hit more than 100,000 for the first time.

“GM is well-positioned to capture the growth opportunities in the SUV, MPV (multi-purpose vehicles) and luxury segments, and our new products are gaining market share,” GM China President Matt Tsien said in a statement. “The recently announced government incentive for vehicle purchases helped boost buying sentiment starting in October.”

Cadillac sold an October record 5,757 luxury vehicles, up 23 percent year-over-year, while Baojun brand sales soared 113 percent to 51,589 vehicles, also a record for October. Chevrolet sales fell 8.4 percent to 51,173 vehicles, which GM blamed mostly on vehicle model changeover. Wuling brand sales also decreased 6.8 percent to 116,786 vehicles because of a decline in the mini-commercial vehicle market, GM said.

Through October, GM says its retail sales in China are up 2.9 percent year-over-year to a record nearly 2.82 million vehicles.

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