VW says Jan-Sept China-HK vehicles sales up 30 pct

SHANGHAI, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Top European auto maker Volkswagen AG sold 30.2 percent more vehicles in mainland China and Hong Kong in the first three quarters of the year than a year earlier, it said on Thursday.

From January to September, the maker of Volkswagen and Audi brand cars moved 684,786 units in China and Hong Kong, compared with 525,941 units in the same period the year before.

For the full year, Volkswagen China aims to sell 900,000 vehicles, it said in a statement. 

Sales of Volkswagen brand vehicles increased 27.9 percent to 594,270 units in the nine-month period, including imported models, while sales of the Audi brand rose 25.9 percent to 76,168 units, it said.

Skoda sold 14,094 cars, up sharply from 518 units a year earlier.

The company also increased its profitability in the first three quarters, Winfried Vahland, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, said in a statement, although he gave no details.

Ford Motor Co, a relative late comer to the world's second-largest auto market, posted a 30 percent rise in its retail sales of vehicles in China to 135,073 units in the first nine months.

Other foreign auto makers operating in the country, including General Motors Corp and Toyota Motor Corp have yet to release their nine-month results.