Following the fierce price wars in China's domestic auto market in recent years, a common misconception has arisen among consumers: "Buy early, enjoy early; buy late, get discounts." This adage suggests that the longer one waits to purchase a car, the lower the price will be. But is this really the case?

As the title implies, car prices have been steadily climbing since the dawn of 2026. Let's delve into which automakers have hiked their prices this year.

First up is Xiaomi. The newly launched Xiaomi SU7 has experienced an uptick in raw material costs, particularly in automotive-grade storage chips and lithium carbonate, leading to an additional material cost of 20,000 yuan for the entire vehicle. However, the official price increase post-launch was a relatively modest 4,000 yuan compared to its predecessor. From a product enhancement standpoint alone, the new Xiaomi model, despite the 4,000 yuan price hike, offers better value for money. Nonetheless, the price has indeed risen.

Another automaker that has announced a price increase is Harmony Intelligent Mobility. The all-new M9 has seen a direct price hike of 10,000 yuan compared to its current model. The Zenith S800 has experienced an even steeper increase, reaching 20,000 yuan. Similar to the Xiaomi SU7, although the prices of the new AITO M9 have gone up, the product's capabilities have also seen significant enhancements. Hence, for most consumers, the price increase may not be as noticeable.

NIO has also joined the ranks of price hikers. The newly launched 2026 models of the NIO ES6 and NIO ET5 have seen price increases ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 yuan. GAC Aion and Changan Qiyuan have similarly raised their prices by 3,000 to 6,000 yuan. The new Zeekr 001 and Zeekr 009 have witnessed price increases between 5,000 and 8,000 yuan.

Relatively speaking, Avatr has implemented a relatively substantial price increase. The newly launched Avatr 12 has seen a 20,000 yuan price hike for the pure electric version due to upgrades in intelligent driving hardware and batteries. The extended-range hybrid version has seen an even more significant increase of 30,000 yuan. Even more aggressive is Li Auto, with the top-tier model of the new Li L9 seeing its price soar to 509,800 yuan, a 70,000 yuan increase over the previous model. The entry-level model of the new Li L8, after transitioning from a 6-seater to a 5-seater, has also seen its price rise by 48,000 yuan.

While BYD has not raised its car prices directly, it has increased the cost of its optional LiDAR package for intelligent assisted driving from 9,900 yuan to 12,000 yuan. Exeed finds itself in a similar situation, with its previously complimentary intelligent driving package now costing 5,000 yuan as an optional add-on.

Tesla has been even more straightforward, announcing two price increases this year, on May 1st and July 1st. The May 1st hike targeted the Tesla Model Y Long Range and Performance versions, with the Long Range version increasing by 18,000 yuan and the Performance version by 20,000 yuan. On July 1st, Tesla announced another price increase for the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive version, with the price going up by 10,000 yuan. Not only have prices risen, but after July 31st, Tesla's 5-year 0% interest financing plan will also be discontinued.

It's not just Chinese automakers that are raising prices. Joint venture companies such as Volkswagen, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi are also increasing prices on their new energy vehicles while offering discounts on their fuel-powered cars.

It's evident that nearly all domestic automakers have raised their prices this year. So, should consumers postpone their car purchases? From CheKuaiping's perspective, entering the second half of the year, it's anticipated that car prices may remain stable or even increase slightly due to the impact of rising raw material costs. At most, there may be some price flexibility at the year's end for dealers facing high sales pressure and for models with poor sales performance.

Therefore, if you have an urgent need for a car, there's no need to deliberately wait. Seize the moment and buy when the need arises. For those who are not in a rush, you can bide your time and observe how the market evolves in 2027 or even 2028. At this juncture, no one can predict with certainty.

Copyright Notice: This article is original to CheKuaiping. For reprinting, please seek authorization. Unauthorized reprinting is strictly prohibited, and any form of plagiarism or unauthorized use of images and text will result in legal action. Some images in the article are sourced from the internet, and the copyright belongs to the original authors. If your work has been used, please contact us for royalties or deletion.