The Japanese partner of Daimler-Chrysler, Mitsubishi Motors, has more than doubled its unit sales in China in the past year, the automobile company announced yesterday in Tokyo.
The automaker sold 145,235 vehicles in China during the 2003 calendar year, a 106 percent surge from 2002.
Leading the growth was the Sigma subcompact (Dingo in Japan), sales of which soared 185 percent on year to 20,339 units. The Liebao (Pajero) sport utility vehicle (SUV) sold 29,536 units for an 89 percent jump in sales on 2002, the company said.
Other vehicles showing year-on-year growth include the Freeca SUV -- otherwise know as the company's Asia Car -- up 10 percent to 19,644 units, and the Delica van with 30,392 units, an increase of 3 percent.
On top of increasing sales of existing models, Mitsubishi Motors also expanded its product offerings in China in 2003 with two new models: the Lioncel sedan and Pajero Sport, which sold 33,647 and 5,804 units respectively. The Mitsubishi-badged Pajero SUV -- a Japanese export since December 2002 -- sold 5,622 units for the year.
The product offensive continues into this year with the introduction of the Outlander crossover SUV, which hit showrooms this month, and the start of Grandis minivan exports from Japan later in the year, the automaker said.
Taiwan Transport and Storage Corp (TTS, 台灣通運倉儲) yesterday unveiled its first electric tractor unit — manufactured by Volvo Trucks — in a ceremony in Taipei, and said the unit would soon be used to transport cement produced by Taiwan Cement Corp (TCC, 台灣水泥). Both TTS and TCC belong to TCC International Holdings Ltd (台泥國際集團). With the electric tractor unit, the Taipei-based cement firm would become the first in Taiwan to use electric vehicles to transport construction materials. TTS chairman Koo Kung-yi (辜公怡), Volvo Trucks vice president of sales and marketing Johan Selven, TCC president Roman Cheng (程耀輝) and Taikoo Motors Group
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