China’s auto sales fell slightly in October from a year earlier on lower demand for trucks and microvans, according to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). A total of 1,524,800 new vehicles were sold last month, 7.37% less than September and 1.07% less than October 2010. Passenger car sales reached 1,220,800 on an annual increase of 1.42%, while sales of commercial vehicle sales fell 9.93% on year to 304,000.

In the passenger car market, all main sectors except that of the microvans saw growth from a year ago. Sedan sales reached 858,200, up 2.76%; MPV 44,900, up 12.92%; SUV 146,000, up 21.58%; microvan 171,700, down 17.74%.In the commercial market, 32,900 buses were sold, 23.33% more than a year ago, while truck sales fell 10.83% on year to 203,000.

In the first ten months, automakers in China sold 15,160,600 new vehicles, 3.15% more than a year ago, including 11,760,000 passenger cars, up 5.86% on year, and 3,400,600 commercial vehicles, down 5.25%.

China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) recorded 1,216,508 sales of new passenger cars in October (wholesales including exports), 1% more than a year earlier. Sedan sales gained 2.5% on year to 859,130, MPV sales up 8% to 46,716, SUV sales up 22.1% to 148,322, microvan sales down 19.6% to 162,340. For the first ten months, the passenger car market expanded 5.9% on year to reach 11,767,540 sales.

Below are the October sales of the ten largest automakers in China according to CPCA:

1. Shanghai-GM: 107,431

2. SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW): 106,028

3. Shanghai-VW: 100,391

4. FAW-VW: 94,130

5. Dongfeng-Nissan: 71,032

6. Beijing-Hyundai: 59,015

7. Chery Auto: 55,988

8. FAW-Toyota: 48,162

9. Changan Auto: 44,840

10. Dongfeng-Yueda-Kia: 41,008