China scaling up to Japan-sized car market

Passenger car sales in China could match Japan's by 2010, according to a KPMG survey that projects 14% annual compound growth in mainland unit sales for the next four years, putting China sales at 4.1m sedans by 2008, versus sales of 4.6m in Japan by then. Given flattening trends in Japan, Asia's largest market now, and continued strong growth in China, both markets could even out by the end of the decade, KPMG said.