Car sales lose out to interest in World Cup

Japanese manufacturers' performance weakens due to lack of new models

Vehicle sales maintained stable growth in July, even though overall weak consumption hurt the industry and the FIFA World Cup dampened buyers' enthusiasm.

Total sales of cars, sport utility vehicles and multipurpose vehicles reached 1,324,846 units last month, up 11.5 percent year-on-year, the China Passenger Car Association announced on Friday.