China's auto sales reached 4.79 million units in the first three months of 2012, down 3.4 percent year-on-year, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said Wednesday.

Production in the first quarter hit 4.78 million units, also down 1.83 percent year-on-year, the new CAAM data showed.

During the period, output of passenger vehicles stood at 3.77 million units, up 1.1 percent, while sales fell 1.25 percent to 3.77 million units. Output and sales of commercial vehicles stood at 1.01 million and 1 million units, down 11.4 percent and 10.6 percent year-on-year, respectively.

However, car sales began picking up steam in March, with the number of cars sold in the month jumping to 1.84 million units, up 17.33 percent compared to February. Sales also rose 1.02 percent year-on-year.

Auto output last month increased 3.38 percent year-on-year to 1.88 million units. The output also marked a 16.9-percent surge compared to that of February.

In the first three months, SAIC, Dongfeng and FAW ranked as the top three sellers, their sales reaching 1.13 million, 832,600, and 642,300 units, respectively.