Beijing - German-US automaker DaimlerChrysler on Monday said sales of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in China soared by 52 per cent year-on-year in the first nine months of 2009.

Mercedes-Benz China sold 44,300 vehicles from January to September in mainland China and Hong Kong, making it the "fastest-growing luxury brand in the market," the company said in a statement.

Sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles in China hit a new record of 7,000 units in September, while the annual growth was led by the group's locally produced C-Class cars.

"Thanks to our efforts to increase local production of the C-Class, combined with recent launches of the new S- and E-Class sedans, we have been able to maintain strong sales momentum in North-east Asia, particularly in Mainland China," Ulrich Walker, chairman and Daimler North-east Asia, said in the statement.

"We will continue to expand the portfolio of vehicles we offer here, with more local production and the introduction of new vehicles, all of which set benchmarks in their segments," Walker said.

German auto giant Volkswagen also announced new monthly and three-quarterly sales records in China on Monday, projecting annual growth of 30 per cent in its biggest global market. (dpa)