During the May Day holiday, the top five independent automakers successively announced their April sales data. From the figures, most automakers saw year-on-year sales growth, with the overall market trend remaining steady and positive. BYD sold a total of 321,123 vehicles in April, with overseas sales hitting a record high. Chery followed closely behind, selling a total of 251,386 vehicles in April, up 25.2% year-on-year, becoming the automaker with the fastest year-on-year growth among the top five for the month. Geely and Changan maintained steady performances, securing their positions in the leading group with comprehensive product lineups. Great Wall Motors, meanwhile, gathered strength amid adjustments.

Relying on a well-established product lineup and mature market reputation, BYD continued to top the sales charts. In April, BYD sold a total of 321,123 vehicles, up 7% month-on-month.

Undoubtedly, the Dynasty and Ocean series are BYD's main sales contributors, selling a combined 267,501 vehicles. The Song, Yuan, Seagull, Seal, and Sea Lion families each played their roles in driving BYD's sales growth. Denza sold a total of 11,250 vehicles, with the Denza D9 leading at 5,397 units sold. Yangwang sold 29,138 vehicles, with the Titan 7 contributing 17,001 units as the absolute mainstay. The high-end brand Yangwang sold 264 vehicles.

Recently, BYD has also launched multiple new models, covering the Dynasty, Ocean, and Yangwang brand matrices, including both affordable high-volume models and flagship high-end products. Among them, the Song Ultra EV and Titan 7 EV Flash Charge Edition have officially launched, while the Da Tang has opened for pre-sale. The Sea Lion 08 and Seal 08 have also made their official debuts. With the arrival of these new models, BYD's market enthusiasm is expected to rebound.

In contrast to the year-on-year decline in the domestic market, BYD's overseas performance has been soaring. In April, BYD's overseas sales reached 134,542 vehicles, up a staggering 70.9% year-on-year, setting a new record.

Chery Group was the standout performer in terms of growth among the top five automakers. In April, it sold a total of 251,386 vehicles, up 25.2% year-on-year.

Behind this, overseas markets became the biggest driver of Chery Group's sales growth. In April, Chery Group's export sales reached 177,573 vehicles, up a massive 102.4% year-on-year, setting a new record for Chinese automobile exports. This marked the 12th consecutive month that Chery Group's monthly exports exceeded 100,000 vehicles.

Chery Group's pattern of "blooming overseas while thriving domestically" has provided it with a solid moat in the fiercely competitive market. However, it is also worth noting that if exports are excluded, its domestic market sales totaled just over 73,000 vehicles, indicating significant pressure.

To turn the situation around, Chery Group is also actively layout (laying out) new energy vehicles, launching new models such as the QQ3 EV, Zhijie V9, and Fengyun T9L. It is reported that the QQ3 received over 50,000 orders on its launch day, with 13,612 units delivered in the first month. The Zhijie V9 received over 22,500 orders within 72 hours of pre-sale. The Fengyun T9L secured 21,248 orders during the pre-sale phase.

From the data, it is clear that Chery Group's newly launched models have received positive feedback from the market. This is expected to become a key driver for boosting its domestic sales and addressing its weaknesses.

Geely demonstrated strong resilience. In April, Geely sold a total of 235,164 vehicles, achieving both year-on-year and month-on-month growth. Among them, Geely's new energy vehicle sales reached 135,591 units, up 8% year-on-year.

By brand, Geely Galaxy sold a total of 91,001 vehicles in April, with the Geely Xingyuan becoming the brand's sales pillar with 41,938 units sold. Zeekr sold 31,787 vehicles, up a staggering 132% year-on-year, setting a new record since the brand's inception. Lynk & Co sold 22,755 vehicles in April, with its new energy family contributing 12,533 units, accounting for 55%.

Currently, models such as the Geely Galaxy Star Glory 7, Geely Galaxy M7 Voyager, Zeekr 8X, new Lynk & Co 10, and Lynk & Co 10+ have been successively unveiled and launched, helping to further boost Geely's sales.

The rapidly growing overseas market has also provided new driving forces for Geely Automobile. In April, Geely's overseas export sales reached 83,186 vehicles, up a massive 245% year-on-year.

There is no denying that the synergistic efforts of multiple new energy brands and the strong breakthrough in overseas markets have showcased Geely's immense development potential.

Changan maintained a steady growth trajectory. In April, Changan sold a total of 209,500 vehicles, up 1.7% year-on-year. Among them, new energy models sold a total of 94,200 units, up 32.2% year-on-year.

By brand, Changan Aiyan sold a total of 32,118 vehicles in April, with the Aiyan Q05 contributing 16,128 units. Shenlan sold 33,187 vehicles, up 64.8% year-on-year, with the Shenlan S05 selling 17,269 units. Avatr sold 5,279 vehicles in April.

Against this backdrop, Changan's brands have successively launched new models such as the new Avatr 12, Avatr 06T, all-new Shenlan S07, Shenlan L06 Range Extender Edition, Shenlan L06 MAX, all-new Changan Aiyan Q05 Laser Extreme Intelligence Edition, and Changan Aiyan A06 Dual Pro+. These models cover various market segments, further boosting sales growth.

In April, Changan's overseas market sales reached 72,700 vehicles, up 69.9% year-on-year, showing strong momentum. In recent years, Changan Automobile has made multi-pronged efforts in layout (laying out) its new energy brands, leaving significant room for future growth.

Compared to the other four leading independent automakers, Great Wall Motors still has a significant gap in overall sales volume. In April, Great Wall Motors sold a total of 106,312 vehicles, up 6.2% year-on-year. Among them, new energy models sold a total of 26,898 units.

By segment, the Haval brand sold 60,330 vehicles in April, up 6.31% year-on-year. Wey sold 7,965 vehicles, up 65.56% year-on-year. The Ora brand saw the highest year-on-year growth, up 106.79% to 3,716 vehicles. The Tank brand sold 17,016 vehicles, up 11.38% year-on-year. Great Wall's pickup trucks saw a 2.51% year-on-year decline to 17,061 units.

In addition to these brands, overseas markets have also become a growth engine for Great Wall Motors. In April, Great Wall's overseas sales reached 50,475 vehicles, accounting for 47.48% of total sales, up 56.93% year-on-year.

Driven by the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Great Wall Motors also dense (intensively) launched models such as the Haval Menglong PLUS, Great Wall H10, Wey V9, Wey V8X, Ora 5 multi-power versions, and the all-new Tank 700. The launch of these new models will effectively enhance Great Wall's product competitiveness.

Summary

The sales landscape of the top five independent automakers in April 2026 not only continue (continues) the stability of the leading group but also showcases distinct differentiation and breakthroughs. More critically, all five automakers have set their sights on overseas markets. Whether it's BYD and Chery setting new records in overseas sales, Geely and Changan experiencing rapid overseas growth, or Great Wall accelerating its overseas layout (layout), it is evident that overseas markets have become the core track (track) for independent automakers to break through growth bottlenecks.

As 2026 nears its halfway point, competition among major automakers continues to intensify. Who will break through and emerge victorious remains to be seen.

(Images sourced from the internet; removal upon infringement notice)