SAIC Motor reported cumulative sales of 3.147 million vehicles for the first three quarters of 2026, maintaining its position as China's top-selling automaker, according to PCauto. In September alone, the group delivered 406,000 vehicles.
Independent brands were the main growth driver. In the first nine months, SAIC's self-owned brands sold 2.303 million units, up 12.6% year on year, accounting for 73.2% of total group sales. September sales for these brands reached 304,000 units, up 3.3%, marking the ninth consecutive month of growth. SAIC Passenger Vehicle sold 868,000 units in the period, up 45.6%, while SAIC Maxus delivered 215,000 units, up 34%. SAIC-GM-Wuling, the joint venture behind the Wuling and Baojun brands, sold 1.06 million units.
New-energy and export momentum
New-energy vehicle (NEV) sales outpaced the industry average. SAIC sold 1.388 million NEVs in the first three quarters, up 28.2%, with September's 225,000 units setting a monthly record. Among them, IM Motors delivered 60,000 units, up 40.1%, and the new IM LS6 received over 11,000 orders within 57 minutes of its launch. SAIC Passenger Vehicle's NEV sales jumped 170.1% to 415,000 units, helped by the Roewe Yue 07, which garnered more than 20,000 orders in 48 hours. The MG4 family delivered over 16,000 units in September, and the MG 07 surpassed 14,000 units. Joint ventures also grew: SAIC-GM and SAIC Volkswagen sold 94,000 and 56,000 NEVs respectively in the first three quarters, up 67.4% and 25.9%.
Overseas sales continued their strong run. SAIC exported 1.166 million vehicles in the first nine months, up 52.4%, with September exports reaching 150,000 units, up 49.1%. Europe remains SAIC's largest overseas market, where the MG brand sold over 280,000 units in the first three quarters, up 23%. In August, SAIC's overseas BEV (battery-electric) sales exceeded 10,000 units, up 93.3%, while PHEV (plug-in hybrid) sales surpassed 5,000 units, up 56.4%, and hybrid sales reached 14,000 units, up 8.5%.
Award recognition and outlook
Several MG models recently won awards from international automotive media. The MG4 EV Urban was named Best Electric Small Car by UK's What Car?, the MG HS PHEV won Best Plug-in Hybrid from Auto Express and Best Hybrid from What Car?, and the MG ZS Hybrid+ was named Best Small SUV by Australia's WHICH CAR? and Best Hybrid by Spain's Carwow.
SAIC's performance across independent brands, new energy, and overseas markets reflects steady progress, with product launches and technology exports reinforcing each other. As the traditional fourth-quarter sales season approaches and new smart-electric models hit the market, SAIC expects continued growth for the full year, according to PCauto.
