SSANGYONG Motor Corp said sales in China jumped four times to 2,000 units from a year earlier as increasing spending income spurred the demand for sports utility vehicles.　

South Korea's fourth-largest auto maker, owned by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, sees China as its third-largest overseas market within five years after Spain and Italy, said Jin Xiaoli, general manager of Ssangyong's marketing department in China.

Ssangyong currently sells five imported models - Chairman, Rexton, Kyron, Actyon and Rodias - in China, the world's second largest auto market. The company attributed its increased sales to the Rexton and Actyon SUV, particular the diesel engine models.

Last year, it sold 1,400 diesel SUVs in the country, accounting for 90 percent for the total diesel SUV market.