Top automakers in China posted a 4.2 percent rise in car sales in April from March, the country’s industry group said Friday, as the world’s third-largest vehicle market remained in the country.

Thirty-nine carmakers sold 266,600 passenger cars in April, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Results were varied, with General Motors Corp.’s main ventures rising 10.7 percent to 28,000 units, while sales by Toyota Motor Corp.’s partner, Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Ltd., rose 1.6 percent to 19,600 units. Honda Motor Co.’s Guangzhou unit sold 18,200 vehicles, a decline of 17.3 percent from the previous month.

Comparisons with the same period a year ago were not available.

Sales slid 2.8 percent from a year earlier to 840,900 units In the January-April period.

The top five companies in order of sales in April were Shanghai GM, Hyundai Motor Co.’s Beijing venture, Toyota partner Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile, the larger of Volkswagen A.G.’s two carmaking plants, and Honda’s Guangzhou unit.

Car sales rose 15 percent in 2004 after nearly doubling in 2003. Recently it has been held back by the government’s steps to cool the economy through credit tightening measures.

That triggered price wars, with GM, Honda, Ford Motor Co. and BMW AG all slashing prices in the first quarter.

(Shenzhen Daily May 16, 2005)