Czech car output soars by half in Jan-Sept

PRAGUE, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Czech passenger car output jumped by almost 50 percent in the first three quarters of the year as a joint Toyota-Peugeot factory and domestic maker Skoda Auto raised production, an industry group said on Wednesday.

The Association of Auto Producers (SAP) said passenger and light utility vehicle output rose 49.75 percent year-on-year to 631,005 units.

Exports soared 54.97 percent to 582,128 cars, it added.

Exports of cars and car parts, mainly to western Europe, have been a key driver of Czech economic growth in the past years.

Volkswagen <VOWG.DE> unit Skoda Auto made 410,630 cars, while the new TPCA factory owned by Toyota <7203.T> and PSA Peugeot Citroen <PEUP.PA> made 220,356 units, SAP said.

((Reporting by Jan Lopatka, editing by editing by Sue Thomas ; prague.newsroom@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: jan.lopatka.reuters.com@reuters.net; +420-224 190 474))

Keywords: AUTOS CZECH