Automobile sales in China grew at their fastest pace in five months in August, with European carmakers making considerable headway in a robust market that posted growth of more than 10 percent.
Last month, more than 1.22 million passenger cars were sold in China, including sedans, multi-purpose vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and minivans, according to figures released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
The numbers represent a year-on-year growth of 11 percent.
Cumulative vehicle sales during the eight months reached 9.95 million, a year-on-year increase of nearly 8 percent.
Sales of commercial vehicles, however, fell by 8.9 percent to 2.5 million, largely due to the slowdown in the Chinese economy and the cancellation of many major projects since last year.
SUV sales continued to be the mainstay of the market in China, notching up a 30 percent rise in sales to 1.27 million units.
FAW-Volkswagen, German auto major Volkswagen Co's passenger car joint venture in China, took pole position in August sales with 114,700 car deliveries, followed by SAIC-GM and SAIC-Volkswagen with 109,800 units and 87,900 units.
The top 10 auto manufacturers accounted for more than 70 percent of the total market share, with 593,000 deliveries, according to the CAM figures.
Volkswagen Group delivered 83,406 cars in August, up by 15.5 percent year-on-year. By the end of August, the company had sold more than 636,840 cars, 12 percent more than the previous year, while its Chinese joint venture partners FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC-Volkswagen were the leaders in the overall Chinese auto market.
