Cadillac, for the first time, has sold more cars in China than it did in the US in the first month this year, General Motors reported on Thursday.

According to GM, Cadillac sold 18,011 cars and SUVs for the Chinese market in January, which is 73 percent more than the 10,398 units it sold in the US during the same period. Moreover, sales in China in January compared with that of in January 2016 jumped to as high as 116 percent.

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"Cadillac begins 2017 with a continuation of the robust global growth of 2016, a year in which we sold more products worldwide than any point in the past three decades," Johan de Nysschen, Cadillac's president, said. "We are growing the business significantly and attracting a youthful and affluent demographic, elevating the aspirational character of the brand. This is particularly the case in China, where our growth is explosive and sustained."

Although Cadillac has been in China for a while, its sales volume increased following the introduction of its recent new models. It benefited most with the mid-sized crossover segment, with the XT5, selling 11,880 units globally last month. Its ATS sports sedan and coupe models soar by 63 percent, and the XTS flagship sedan jump by 29 percent, according to Forbes.

However, a spokesperson from Cadillac said on Thursday that the increased sales in China were because of seasonal factors, explaining the China sales usually sizzle on the first month of the year due to the Lunar New Year celebration.

GM has a variety of brands offered in China. It sold an estimated 3.9 million units in the country in 2016, 25 percent more than that of in the US. Nyssschen said China would be Cadillac's primary growth engine.

 

TagsCadillac, General Motors, Cadillac China, Cadillac global sales, China auto market