Shanghai (ZXZC)- Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. (called “Changan” for short) scored a 35.63% year-on-year surge last month by selling 169,415 vehicles, according to the company's sales report. As of August, the Chongqing-based automaker had posted double-digit sales growth for the fifth month in a row.

In the Jan.-Aug. period, Changan saw its cumulative sales grow 9.52% from a year earlier to 1,165,338 units, completing 61% of the 1.91 million-unit target it set for 2020.

Last month, the sales of Changan's self-owned brand leapt 39.5% over a year ago to 128,416 units, the company said via its WeChat account.

(Changan CS75 PLUS, photo source: Changan Automobile)

As for the Aug. sales of key models, the sales of the Changan CS75 series amounted to 22,456 units, exceeding 20,000 units for five consecutive months. Oshan Auto sold 10,494 new vehicles, while Changan Kaicheng saw its sales climb to 26,121 units thanks to the relaxation of the restrictions on pickup trucks entering the city.

(UNI-T, photo source: Changan Automobile)

The roll-out of new products significantly contributed to the upturn in Changan-branded sales. Hitting the market in March, the Eado PLUS sedan had a sales volume of 17,776 units in August. The sales of the UNI-T, the first model in Changan's “gravity” sequence, reached 10,186 units. Notably, the sales of the Blue Whale editions of the Changan CS55 PLUS and the Ruicheng CC totaled 10,056 units after they going on sale on August 17.

(Ford Escape, photo source: Changan Ford)

Joint ventures also gained blooming sales growth last month. Of them, Changan Ford boasted a 36.98% year-on-year sales hike with 20,229 vehicles sold.

A senior analyst at ZXZC Auto Research Institute said Changan Ford's sales growth in August was largely associated with its product strategy adjustment. To cater to the market and consumers' demands, Ford is speeding up the launch of new products in China with SUV models as its centerpiece, especially the Ford Escape has served a main driver of the joint venture's sales increase.

(Mazda CX-30, photo source: Changan Mazda)

Changan Mazda sold 11,475 vehicles in August, a year-on-year growth of 11.46%. At the Chengdu Motor Show 2020, Mazda's e-SKYACTIVE X compression-ignition petrol engine introduced by Changan Mazda made its China's debut. The new Mazda3 Axela and the Mazda CX-30 powered by this kind of engine will hit the market in this year's September.