Chinese consumers have expressed increased satisfaction with the auto industry in a country where auto sales have seen booming growth, according to a recent report produced by the Chinese Society for Quality.

The consumer satisfaction index (CSI) for the auto industry was 72.2, up slightly 0.8 from 2003 and 1.1 from 2002, signaling consumers' increasing recognition of the sector.

The report, the only one conducted at a national level, selects 20 auto brands that top the sales and market share lists in 2003, including those produced by Shanghai Volkswagen, FAW Volkswagen, Guangzhou Honda and Beijing Hyundai.

The 20 brands took up 71.5 percent of market share and included all brands that sold over 40,000 units in 2003.

According to the latest statistics of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, auto production and sales both exceeded 4.5 million in the first 11 months of 2004, each up more than 16 percent year-on-year.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2005)