Car sales in China shine as rest of the world reels from coronavirus

Demand for cars in China is going from strength to strength, making the automobile market in Asia’s biggest economy a lone bright spot as the coronavirus pandemic puts a damper on sales in Europe and the US.

Sales of sedans, SUVs, minivans and multipurpose vehicles jumped 7.4 per cent in September from a year earlier to 1.94 million units, the China Passenger Car Association said Tuesday. That’s the third straight monthly increase, and it was driven primarily by demand for SUVs.

Passenger vehicle deliveries to dealers rose 8 per cent to 2.1 million units, while total vehicle sales, including trucks