Demand for diesel vehicles pushed up sales of the country’s leading auto makers in July amid concerns that the sagging economic growth and high fuel prices and interest rates will continue to pose challenges to auto sales in Asia’s third largest economy.

Nine of the industry’s 19 leading automobile manufacturers together grew volumes by 11.8 per cent to 182,822 units in July, compared to 163,572 units sold in the year-ago period. Sales in the passenger vehicle industry grew 9.7 per cent in June this year.