Honda says Dec China auto sales up 60% YOY

SHANGHAI - Honda Motor Co Ltd and its two local joint ventures sold a record 101,465 automobiles in China in December, up 60.4 percent from a year earlier, the Japanese automaker said on Monday.

That follows a 101.5 percent year-on-year jump in November and a 211 percent surge in October, which were partly boosted by a low base from the year before when sales tanked due to a surge in anti-Japanese sentiment following a territorial dispute between Beijing and Tokyo.

Honda, which introduced its newest version of the Accord and the Jade in September, sold 756,882 vehicles in 2013, up 26.4 percent from a year earlier and hitting a record high.

Honda makes vehicles in China in partnership with Dongfeng Motor Group Co and Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd .