BEIJING - China's auto sales expanded 9.7 percent year-on-year to about 2.45 million units in March, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed Tuesday.

According to the data, auto sales in the first quarter of the year totaled 6.08 million units, down 6.7 percent year-on-year.

In March, the automobile output in China reached 2.58 million units, increasing by 15.3 percent year-on-year, said the association.