– Sales in China up 82% in May.
– 4.019 cars sold.
– China 3th market worldwide.

Via Marketwatch. Sweden-based but Chinese-owned car maker Volvo Car Corp. said Tuesday that China was its fastest-growing market in May, with sales there surging 82%, part of a 42% increase in global sales for the month.

Volvo, which was acquired by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. last August, said it sold 4,019 cars in China during the month. That makes it the company’s third-largest market after the U.S., where it sold 7,363 cars, a 58% rise; and Sweden, where sales hit 5,257, up 44%.

Global sales for the month were 41,465, up 42% from the same period a year earlier.

The company presented sales figures for Sweden and the U.S. last week, but a spokesman provided global and China sales Tuesday to Dow Jones Newswires.

Volvo so far this year has sold 185,993 cars, up 20% from the same period a year earlier, driven by high demand for the Volvo 60 series–Volvo XC60, S60 and V60, the company said.

Volvo cited the demand for the 60 series for its decision last week to increase its production rate and to add 600 employees to the company’s plants in Gothenburg, Olofstrom, Skovde and Floby in Sweden and to Gent in Belgium.

That announcement came a month after it said it would add about 1,000 workers to its Swedish operations.

Volvo has about 12,900 employees in Sweden and 19,500 globally.