Nissan says Dec China auto sales up 70% YOY

Nissan Motor Co Ltd and its local joint-venture sold 134,200 automobiles in China in December, up 70.4 percent from a year earlier, the Japanese automaker said on Tuesday.

That follows a 95.7 percent year-on-year jump in November and an 127.8 percent surge in October, which were partly boosted by a low base from 2012 when anti-Japan sentiment fanned by a territorial dispute between Beijing and Tokyo hurt sales of Japanese brands.

In 2013, Nissan sold 1,266,200 vehicles, up 17.2 percent from a year earlier, matching its target of 1.25 million vehicles.

Nissan makes vehicles in China in partnership with Dongfeng Motor Group Co Ltd.

This year, Nissan plans to launch production of upscale Infiniti brand cars in China, while also adding new models under the Venucia brand it jointly runs with Dongfeng.