Dongfeng Motor Group Co, the Hong-Kong listed unit of China's third largest automobile manufacturer Dongfeng Motor Corp, Monday announced its auto sales in September dropped 1.656% year-on-year to 85,729 vehicles, market sources reported.

Of the total, sales of passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles amounted to 67,268 units and 18,461 units respectively, representing a year-on-year increase of 12.9% and 33.1%, the automaker said in a filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Over the first nine months this year, the company sold 814,722 vehicles in total, up 17.22% over the same period of last year.

Sales of passenger cars rose 17.5% from a year earlier to 539,422 units, and that of commercial vehicles reached 275,350 units, up 16.7% over year-earlier level.

Dongfeng Motor, headquartered in Wuhan, Hubei province, is engaged in the manufacture and sale of commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles, engines and auto parts, as well as vehicle manufacturing equipments.

On Tuesday, shares of Dongfeng Automobile rose 14.91% to close at HK$2.62.