China's Auto Sales Fall Despite Traditional Peak Season

China’s passenger car market showed fresh weakness in September despite the country’s traditional peak-season period. Retail sales of passenger cars fell 28.0% year-on-year to 1.62 million units, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The decline adds to a pattern of soft monthly auto demand, with the expected seasonal lift failing to reverse the downturn. The CPCA figure underscores how even periods that typically boost buying are not generating momentum for consumers, suggesting that demand remains under pressure across categories. For manufacturers and dealers, the reading points to a continued need to manage inventories and promotions while waiting for demand to stabilize.