China's auto sales rise 5.1 percent in January-February

BEIJING (AP) — China's auto sales growth decelerated to 5.1 percent in January and February as demand for lower-priced domestic brand SUVs soared but sedan purchases contracted, an industry group reported Thursday.

Sales of sedans, SUVs and minivans in the biggest auto market by number of vehicles sold totaled 3.6 million in the two-month period, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Auto sales suffered an unexpectedly sharp contraction from June through August, rattling a global industry that is counting on China to drive revenue.

In December, half the vehicles in Beijing were ordered off the road on alternate days after the Chinese capital's air pollution spiked to dangerous levels.

Sales by China's lower-priced domestic brands grew at more than double the market's overall pace, rising 12.6 percent in the first two months of the year to 1.7 million vehicles.