Strong demand for sport-utility vehicles helped push Daimler’s luxury car sales in China up 53% in September for the month, Reuters reported, citing a statement from the company. The rise in sales for the the Mercedes-Benz owner comes as a bright spot amid an otherwise gloomy period for foreign automakers in China, whose weak sales figures this year are seen as heralding an end to once explosive growth for the sector. Daimler’s finance chief Bodo Uebber said the company expects China’s auto market to grow by around 5-6% annually in the long term, with potentially higher growth in the luxury segment.