China's sales of passenger vehicles went down in February on a monthly term, due largely to global price hikes for oil and extreme winter weather in southern part of the country.

Sources with the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said on Wednesday that February saw 488,900 passenger vehicles sold nationwide, a decline of 26.15 percent from January but a growth of 17.05 percent on the same month of last year.

The total included 357,100 cars, down 28.72 percent from January but up 19.94 percent on the same month of last year, 15,400 multi-purpose vehicles, down 9.64 percent month-on-month but up 12.75 percent year-on-year, and 28,300 sport utility vehicles, down 7.3 percent from the month-earlier level but up 47.19 percent from the year-earlier level.

The sources said of the total, 231,800 vehicles, or 65 percent, were sold by the top 10 carmakers, including Shanghai Volkswagen, Shanghai GM, FAW Volkswagen, Chery and FAW Toyota.

(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2008)