GEELY Holdings Group Co, the Chinese maker of US$5,000 compact cars, will add five new models a year, including sedans, until 2010 because of faster-growing demand for larger cars in the world's second-largest auto market.

The car maker will also raise its annual production capacity in China to 1.7 million vehicles by 2015, company vice president Zhao Fuquan said at the Detroit motor show on Monday. China's largest privately controlled car maker can currently make 300,000 autos a year, according to its Website.

Bloomberg reported that Geely plans to add larger models and to boost sales overseas as Chinese drivers, enriched by stock-market gains, shun compacts in favor of more expensive cars. The company's Hong Kong-listed unit missed its vehicle sales target in 2007 for at least the second year in a row.

The car maker is planning to open plants in Europe and southern Africa, Zhao said at the North American International Automobile Show. He declined to provide more details. Earlier this week, the company said it will set up an assembly venture in Mexico to serve markets in the Americas, including the US.

Geely's new models this year will include a five-door hatchback KingKong compact and a 1.8-liter China Dragon sports car based on its Beauty Leopard model. It will also add a 1-liter compact named the Panda in the local market.