China auto sales growth accelerates in October

China's auto sales remained robust in October as total sales in the first 10 months overtook those for the whole of 2009, according to data released by an industry group on Tuesday.

Vehicle sales totalled 1.54 million units in October, up 25.47 percent from the same month a year earlier, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said in a statement on its website.

The growth was faster than the year-on-year increase of 16.9 percent seen in the previous month but sales were slightly down from 1.56 million units in September, according to the semi-official association.

China's auto sales for 2009 hit 13.64 million units as the nation took over the title of the world's top auto market from the United States.

Auto sales for the period of January to October totalled 14.67 million units, up 34.76 percent from a year earlier.

After last year's breakneck growth, sales had slowed in the summer months, partially due to seasonal factors, but 2010 is still forecast to see 17 million units shifted - an increase of about 25 percent year-on-year.