Cars with an engine size of less than 1.6 liters accounted for 60 percent of Chinese vehicle sales last year, latest industry figures show.

 

"The rise in sales of low-emission cars was due to high oil prices and government policies favoring small cars," said a report from the China Association of Auto Manufacture.

 

China raised the price of processed oil several times last year and in recent years some cities have removed restrictions on driving routes open to small-engine vehicles.  

 

About 328,000 cars with an engine size of below 1.0 liters were sold last year and accounted for 8.6 percent of total domestic sedan sales, said the report. Cars with an engine size of between 1.0 and 1.6 liters took up about half of total sedan sales.

 

Of the ten best-selling brands six were economy cars, the Jetta, Buick Excelle, Elantra, Xiali, Cherry QQ and Cherry Cowin.

 

China's car sales went up 37 percent to reach 3.83 million last year.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2007)