HONG KONG (AP) — China's car sales expanded at a faster pace in the first half of the year, boosted by strong demand for sport utility vehicles in the world's largest auto market.
About 11 million passenger vehicles were sold in the January-June period, according to data released Monday by an industry group. That's 9.2 percent more than the same period last year.
The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers also said total vehicle sales, including trucks and buses, rose 8.1 percent to 12.8 million.
The surging popularity of SUVs among Chinese drivers has helped prop up industry sales growth after a slump last year.
For June, passenger vehicle sales jumped 17.7 percent from the year before to 1.8 million. SUV sales surged 41 percent to 632,000.