Dongfeng Nissan eyes challenging sales goal

A venture between China's Dongfeng and Japan's Nissan Motor faces a tough challenge to hit a 2009 sales goal that is nearly three times the China market's overall projected growth rate, an executive said on Thursday.
 
Toshiaki Otani, a vice president of the joint venture, Dongfeng Motor Co Ltd (DFL), told reporters he personally targetted passenger vehicle growth of 14.5 percent in 2009, which he said would be "very challenging" to achieve.
 
"We have to add 40,000 to 50,000 compared to this year in terms of sales volume," Otani said.
 
Dongfeng Motor is expecting sales of 345,000 passenger vehicles this year, a 27.4 percent increase over 2007, he said.
 
China's vehicle market would grow a maximum 5 percent next year, after slowing to 7-8 percent this year, said Otani.
 
The mainland is the world's second-largest car market and one of the fastest growing, but global carmakers are facing a severe market downturn.
 
The U.S. government is considering $14 billion in loans to help faltering General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co, and Chrysler LLC.
 
Dongfeng also has joint ventures with PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Honda Motor.
From: Reuters

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