Gasgoo.com (Shanghai May 11) - Geely Automobile sold a total of 37,000 vehicles in April, Caijing reported today. The figure, which comes from the manufacturer's recently released sales performance review, represents year-on-year growth of five percent. Geely has sold a total of 155,500 vehicles since the beginning of the year, 1.6 percent more than what it sold in the first four months of 2011. Exports were a major contributor to the manufacturer's sales performance.

Geely's three subsidiary brands, Gleagle, Englon and Emgrand, managed respective sales of 15,000 units, 12,000 units and 10,000 units last month. According to Vice President Yang Xueliang, the manufacturer plans to sell 460,000 vehicles this year, with 60,000 of those sales expected to come from foreign markets. "Overseas sales [are expected] to grow 50 percent [from last year]," Mr. Yang remarked. Geely's export sales totaled 40,000 units last year, growing a full 93 percent, while domestic sales fell three percent.

Mr. Yang also confirmed that Geely is planning to construct knockdown factories in various regions over the next three to five years. He added that the manufacturer's Egyptian factory will begin operation this August.

In addition to its forays overseas, Geely is also making strides to enter the SUV market. At the recently concluded Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, Geely's first SUV model, the GX7 (pictured), made its official market debut. However, Geely will face tough competition from other Chinese manufacturers, including Chery and Great Wall, which have already been active in the SUV market for some time now.