Czech new car registrations up 3.8 pct in Jan-Sept

PRAGUE, Oct 10 (Reuters) - New car registrations in the Czech Republic rose 3.8 percent year-on-year in January to September, the Car Importers' Association (SDA) said on Tuesday.

Combined passenger car and light utility vehicle registrations reached 127,186 units, the association said.

It said passenger car sales dropped by 3.8 percent but sales of light utility vehicles jumped by 31 percent.

Many passenger cars are sold with small interior modifications as light utility vehicles in order to allow entrepreneurs and firms to reclaim the value added tax.

Volkswagen <VOWG.DE> unit Skoda Auto, the main Czech car maker, held 41 percent of the market. It was followed by Renault <RENA.PA> with 6.8 percent, its parent Volkswagen with 6.1 and Hyundai <005380.KS> with 5.2 percent. ((Reporting by Petra Vodstrcilova, writing by Marek Petrus, editing by David Holmes; Reuters Messaging: rm://marek.petrus.reuters.com@reuters.net; e-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com or marek.petrus@reuters.com; Tel: +420 224 190 477))

Keywords: AUTOS CZECH