General Motors' China sales edged down 0.6 percent from a year earlier to 296,939 vehicles in March, as demand slumped for Chevrolets and entry-level microvans.

 

Chevrolet deliveries slumped 19 percent last month to 33,320 in part due to a plant changeover for the redesigned Malibu.

 

GM's other brands fared better. Buick deliveries rose 2.9 percent to 72,886 vehicles as demand for the Excelle GT and Envision SUV compensated for the model changeover for the redesigned LaCrosse, which was launched on March 18.

 

Cadillac sales advanced 14 percent to 7,588 vehicles as the U.S. luxury brand received a lift from the new CT6 flagship sedan, which went on sale in late January.

 

Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles are built and distributed by SAIC-General Motors, GM's passenger vehicle joint venture.

 

Sales of General Motors' low-priced microvans -- sold under the Wuling brand -- fell 11 percent 138,079 vehicles as China's microvan market continued to contract.

 

SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., the joint venture that produces Wuling microvans, had better luck with the entry level Baojun brand.

 

In March, Baojun deliveries surged 82 percent year on year to 45,002 vehicles, reflecting robust demand for the Baojun 730 MPV and Baojun 560 crossover.

 

In the first three months, GM and its joint ventures' deliveries in China rose 0.2 percent year to 963,652 vehicles.

 

GM also sells a small number of Opel and GMC vehicles in China, for which it did not disclose sales.

 

It plans to launch more than 60 new and refreshed models in China over the next five years, including 13 this year.