(Yicai) Feb. 12 -- Retail sales of passenger vehicles in China tumbled 32 percent last month from December, mainly due to a surge in sale promotions at the end of last year.

Some 1.8 million passenger cars were sold in January, with the figure also down 12 percent from a year ago, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association yesterday.

Retail new energy vehicle sales reached 744,000 units last month, up 10.5 percent from a year earlier but down 43 percent from December.

The performance aligns with expectations, as the year-end sales push caused temporary problems, said Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the CPCA. With the Chinese New Year falling earlier this year, many consumers bought or replaced their cars before the holiday, so this January market was slightly weaker than in previous years, he added.

Geely Automobile Holdings performed outstandingly last month, surpassing BYD to top the domestic market by retail sales. However, the Shenzhen-based auto giant remains at the top when considering wholesale sales, including exports.

Private carmakers such as BYD and Geely have shown exceptional performance, reshaping the auto market landscape previously dominated by state-owned companies, including FAW Group and SAIC Motor, Cui pointed out.

Regarding the market this month, most manufacturers quickly resumed operations after the Chinese New Year holiday due to intense competition, so the recovery potential is relatively high, Cui noted. This year will be difficult and complex, with the global situation and economic and trade order potentially impacting the auto industry, leading to a cautious outlook, he said.

Editor: Martin Kadiev