BEIJING -- China's auto sales in July rose 29.7 percent year-on-year to 2.42 million units, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed Thursday.

Auto sales in the January-July period totaled 14.48 million units, down 2 percent year-on-year, according to the data.

In July alone, sales of passenger vehicles soared 40 percent year-on-year to 2.17 million units, data showed.