Car Sales in China Rise 21%

Deliveries of new passenger vehicles in China surged to an eight-month high of 1.59 million units in September, according to the China Assn. of Automobile Manufacturers.

Sales compare with year-earlier volumes that were depressed by a consumer boycott of Japanese brands prompted by a territorial dispute between the two countries.

CAAM says demand for SUVs climbed 65% year on year to 283,600 units in September. Sales of sedans rose 15% to 1.07 million units.

Total vehicle sales, which include buses and commercial vehicles, grew 20% to 1.94 million last month, pushing total volume in the first nine months of 2013 to 15.9 million units, according to the association.

Volkswagen sold 2.36 million vehicles in China in January-September compared with 2.31 million for General Motors.