Sales of new light vehicles in China decreased 5.3 percent to about 1,589,500 in July as demand for crossovers and SUVs remained weaker for a second straight month.

It was the second month this year that China’s new light-vehicle market posted lower sales -- following February, a month with fewer working days than a year earlier due to the Chinese New Year Holiday, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

After rising non-stop for several years, sales of crossovers and SUVs tapered off in June, sliding 0.5 percent from a year earlier. The decline in the segment’s sales accelerated in July: crossover and SUV deliveries dropped 8.2 percent to roughly 632,700 last month.

Sedan sales edged down 1.3 percent to approximately 814,600 while multi-purpose vehicle deliveries plunged 22 percent to around 106,600.

The minibus segment staged a strong rebound, with sales up 30 percent from a year earlier, but the volume was tiny – only about 35,600 minibuses were sold last month.

Through July, China’s new light vehicle deliveries have risen 3.4 percent to roughly 13,364,500.