Car Sales in China Shine as Rest of World Reels From Virus

  • September retail sales rise 7.4%, third straight monthly gain
  • World’s largest market helps offset weaker U.S., Europe demand
Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
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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 U.S.

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