China's passenger car market saw a weak "Golden September" in 2026, with overall retail sales down sharply year-on-year, but leading new-energy vehicle (NEV) makers continued to grow strongly, according to PCauto. Data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed that from September 1 to 27, retail sales of passenger cars nationwide reached 1.258 million units, down 29% year-on-year and up 1% from August; wholesale volume was 1.474 million units, down 30% year-on-year. NEV retail sales reached 827,000 units, down 20% year-on-year, but penetration exceeded 70%, making them the absolute mainstream.
Traditional automakers: BYD leads, SAIC rebounds
BYD remained the industry's top seller in September, with 456,713 passenger vehicles sold, including 179,877 units sold overseas (up 153.9% year-on-year). In the first nine months of 2026, cumulative sales surpassed 3.13 million units, and cumulative NEV sales exceeded 18.2 million units. Among its sub-brands, Dynasty and Ocean series sold 394,945 units, Fangchengbao sold 43,181, Denza sold 18,198, and Yangwang sold 389.
SAIC Group returned to the 400,000-unit level, selling 406,000 vehicles in September. In the first three quarters, cumulative sales reached 3.147 million units. SAIC's self-owned brands continued rapid growth, with SAIC Passenger Vehicle sales up 45.6% year-on-year in the first nine months. NEV sales in the period reached 1.388 million units, up 28.2%, while overseas sales totaled 1.166 million units, up 52.4%.
Geely sold 292,168 vehicles in September, a record high for the year, up 7% year-on-year and 8% month-on-month, marking seven consecutive months of double growth. NEV sales reached 190,868 units, and exports hit 106,685 units. Zeekr delivered 37,216 units, up 104% year-on-year, with the Zeekr 7X exceeding 10,000 deliveries for three consecutive months. Chery Group sold 292,308 vehicles in September, including 133,310 NEVs and 207,814 exports. Changan delivered 228,900 vehicles, with NEV deliveries at 113,200. GWM sold 114,944 vehicles, with overseas sales up 19.4% year-on-year.
New forces: Leapmotor, Xpeng, Xiaomi surge
Leapmotor became the only new force brand to exceed 100,000 monthly sales for three consecutive months, with global deliveries of 105,656 units in September, up 59% year-on-year. The company ranked among the top three Chinese NEV brands and top four globally. In the first nine months, overseas exports exceeded 150,000 units, achieving its full-year target ahead of schedule. Leapmotor now operates in over 45 countries, with more than 1,000 sales and service outlets in Europe.
Xpeng delivered 41,256 vehicles in September, up 5% month-on-month, with third-quarter deliveries of 118,390 units, up 15% quarter-on-quarter. The MONA L03 exceeded 10,000 deliveries, and the GX delivered 7,224 units, ranking among the top three in the large SUV segment above 300,000 yuan (about $42,300) for two consecutive months.
Xiaomi Auto delivered over 40,000 vehicles in September, with the Pengcheng model (likely a new model) surpassing 10,000 units in its first month. The company also offered September purchase incentives, including 0% interest for three years or 6,000 yuan (about $845) in insurance subsidies for the SU7 and YU7, and 0% interest for five years plus 49,000 yuan (about $6,900) in benefits for the SU7 Ultra.
Huawei's Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance delivered 37,490 units in September, with cumulative deliveries exceeding 1.56 million units. Nio delivered 37,408 vehicles, up 7.7% year-on-year, with the Nio brand at 21,318 units, Onvo at 8,763, and Firefly at 7,327. Li Auto delivered 31,817 vehicles, with cumulative deliveries reaching 1,833,651 units. The company will launch the 2026 Li i6 in October and make its European debut at the Paris Motor Show.
