Two major carmakers are looking for double digit percentage increases in the Chinese market this year.
Europe's Audi AG and domestic manufacturer Great Wall Motor Co have both announced hefty sales targets for the coming years, despite overall industry growth slowing to just 2.5% in 2011. Both automakers will rely on increasing dealerships and production capacity to meet their yearly goals.
With sales increasing by a massive 37% to 313,000 units last year, Audi is confident that it will be able to sell over 1 million vehicles over the three year period ending in 2013. As well as adding an extra 63 dealerships nationwide, Audi will also launch the redesigned A6L sedan, the Q3 compact crossover, a hybrid version of the Q5 and several other high-performance models this year. According to Audi's Zhang Xiaojun, the company “already has a higher target”, although did not disclose the exact figures.
Meanwhile, Great Wall Motor Co, China's largest SUV manufacturer, plans to increase sales by 23% to 600,000 units this year. The boost will be supported by its new Tianjin plant, but also by the increasing international demand for Chinese cars.
The company will launch its joint venture in Bulgaria this year, which will begin producing the Haval SUV, shortly followed by the Voleex sedan and Wingle pickup. Last year, Great Wall Motor Co's net profits totalled 3.5 billion yuan ($544 million up from 2.7 billion yuan in 2010.