BEIJING, May 10 (Reuters) - China's car sales fell 5.8% in April from a year earlier, industry data showed on Friday, as a ferocious price war and various incentives failed to shake off consumers' caution around big-item spending amid a shaky economic recovery.

Passenger vehicle sales totalled 1.55 million units in April, down 9.6% from March, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

Car sales rose 5.7% in March year-on-year and jumped 53% month-on-month. (Reporting by Qiaoyi Li and Brenda Goh; Editing by Mark Potter)