Recently, major automakers have unveiled their sales results for September. Among them, BYD maintained its lead with 463,561 vehicles sold, demonstrating positive growth both year-over-year and month-over-month. The sales gap between Chery and Geely narrowed to a mere 140 units, with Chery selling 292,308 units and Geely selling 292,168 units in September. Changan Automobile and Great Wall Motor delivered 228,900 and 114,944 units, respectively, both experiencing month-over-month increases.

Next, Qichemen.com will offer a concise analysis of the September 2026 sales performance of these top five independent Chinese automakers.

First Place: BYD – Total Sales 463,561 Units | Overseas Sales 179,877 Units

In September, BYD sold 463,561 units, marking a 17% increase year-over-year and a 5.3% rise month-over-month. It remained the sole mainstream automaker to surpass 400,000 units in monthly sales.

Regarding brand segments, the Dynasty and Ocean series collectively contributed 394,900 units in September, continuing to underpin BYD's sales. Among the premium brands, Fangchengbao excelled, selling 43,181 units in September, a 79.02% increase year-over-year, with the Titan 7 model alone accounting for 32,144 units. Denza sold 18,198 units, up 13.73% month-over-month, showing the strongest growth among the four brands. Yangwang sold 389 units, reflecting normal fluctuations for an ultra-luxury brand priced at over a million yuan.

BYD's growth momentum in overseas markets remained robust, with 179,877 units sold in September, a 153.9% increase year-over-year. Overseas business has become a crucial second growth curve for BYD, with exports accounting for nearly 40% of total sales that month, and the contribution from overseas markets continuing to climb.

New energy vehicle (NEV) performance was equally remarkable, with 456,713 NEVs sold in September, including 273,143 battery electric passenger vehicles and 183,570 plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles.

In terms of new models, the Haishi 08, Denza N8L all-electric version, and Fangchengbao S series have all been launched. New products such as the third-generation Tang and Dahan EV are slated to debut in the fourth quarter.

Considering the cumulative sales of 3.131 million units in the first three quarters of this year, although the official total sales target for the group has not been announced, the overseas target of 1.3 million units has already been surpassed in the first three quarters. As we enter the final three months, overseas sales are expected to continue their upward trajectory. If the export momentum in the fourth quarter can be sustained, achieving 1.7 to 1.8 million units in overseas sales for the full year is within reach.

Second Place: Chery Group – Total Sales 292,308 Units | Overseas Sales 207,814 Units

In September, Chery Group's sales reached 292,308 units, with year-over-year and month-over-month growth exceeding 4%, maintaining a solid overall performance. In the first three quarters of this year, Chery Group's cumulative sales reached 2,206,789 units, up 9.9% year-over-year, setting a new record for the same period.

Regarding brand segments, Chery and Jetour remained the sales pillars, selling a combined 256,178 units in September, accounting for 87.6% of the total. The iCAR brand sold 10,858 units in September, up 6.1% month-over-month. Exeed and Starway sold 5,008 and 4,905 units, respectively. It is evident that new brands and high-end product lines are still in the ramp-up phase, with limited incremental contributions.

Overseas markets are Chery's forte, with 207,814 units exported in September, up 51% year-over-year. This marked the second time this year that monthly exports exceeded 200,000 units, setting a new record for Chinese automakers' monthly exports. Chery also performed well in the new energy sector, selling 133,310 units in September, up 45.6% year-over-year, surpassing 100,000 units for the sixth consecutive month.

Additionally, Chery is accelerating the launch of new products. Heavyweight models such as the Tiggo 9, Exeed EX7, Fengyun T11, and Fengyun A9L have already been launched, while the all-new Arrizo 7 and Exeed EX6 are set to debut in the fourth quarter, potentially bringing new sales growth points for the group. At the technical level, Chery is fully equipped with the Kunpeng CDM6.0 hybrid system, Falcon 700 intelligent driving, and a self-developed 1000V high-voltage platform, with high-level NOA standard across all new models.

Considering Chery's annual target of 3.2 million units, 68.96% was achieved in the first three quarters, nearing 70%. In the remaining three months, more domestic market sales need to be unlocked to steadily reach the annual target.

Third Place: Geely Automobile – Total Sales 292,168 Units | Overseas Sales 106,685 Units

Geely Automobile's sales reached 292,168 units in September, a new record for the year, up 7% year-over-year and 8.1% month-over-month, achieving seven consecutive months of positive year-over-year and month-over-month growth.

Among the brand segments, Geely (including Galaxy) contributed 236,459 units as the absolute mainstay in September. Zeekr delivered 37,216 units, up 103.85% year-over-year and slightly up 0.6% month-over-month, with the Zeekr 7X delivering over 10,000 units for three consecutive months. Lynk & Co sold 18,493 units, up 9% month-over-month.

In overseas exports and the new energy sector, Geely's growth momentum was equally prominent. In September, Geely's export sales reached 106,685 units, up a staggering 162% year-over-year, surpassing 100,000 units for four consecutive months. Its new energy vehicle sales reached 190,868 units in September, setting a new monthly record for the brand and achieving positive year-over-year and month-over-month growth.

In terms of new models, the main new models such as the Galaxy M9, 2026 Starwish, and Galaxy TT have already been launched and delivered. In the fourth quarter, Geely will introduce several new models, including the Galaxy Battleship 700 and 2027 Zeekr 7X, to further improve its segment market layout and build momentum for subsequent sales growth.

Fourth Place: Changan Automobile – Total Sales 228,900 Units | Overseas Sales 96,200 Units

Changan Automobile delivered 228,900 units in September, up 4.6% month-over-month. Among them, new energy vehicle sales reached 113,200 units, up 13.9% year-over-year, becoming the core driver of its growth.

Regarding brand segments, Changan Qiyuan delivered 46,507 units, up slightly by 1.4% from 45,885 units in August. Shenlan Auto maintained the 30,000-unit tier. Avatr sold 8,183 units in September, achieving three consecutive months of month-over-month growth. Kaicheng sold 19,000 units, with overseas deliveries up 38% year-over-year.

In addition, Changan Automobile continued its stable performance in overseas markets, with exports reaching 96,200 units in September, up 73.8% year-over-year. Its new energy performance was also impressive, with 113,200 units delivered in September, up 13.9% year-over-year.

In terms of new models, the Qiyuan Q06 was launched on September 23, featuring standard Tianshu Pilot intelligent driving. It received over 11,000 orders within two hours of pre-sale and over 35,000 orders within 24 hours. In the fourth quarter, new models such as the 2027 Qiyuan A06 will also be launched.

In the first three quarters of this year, Changan Automobile's cumulative sales reached 1.7 million units. Compared to the group's sales targets of "3.3 million units for the full year, 1.4 million units for new energy vehicles, and 750,000 units for overseas markets," Changan Automobile faces significant pressure to close the gap. However, there are also bright spots: the progress of new energy vehicle sales is better than the group's overall performance, and overseas sales have nearly reached 730,000 units, effectively achieving the annual overseas target in advance.

Fifth Place: Great Wall Motor – Total Sales 114,944 Units | Overseas Sales 60,019 Units

Great Wall Motor's sales reached 114,944 units in September, up slightly by 1.4% year-over-year.

In terms of brand performance, Haval remained the group's solid sales foundation, selling 66,558 units in September. Tank sold 15,178 units. Wey sold 6,976 units. Ora showed impressive growth, selling 11,202 units in September, up a significant 79.09% year-over-year. Great Wall Pickup sold 15,020 units, up 16.43% year-over-year, showing steady growth.

In overseas markets, Great Wall Motor exported 60,019 units in September, accounting for more than half of the total monthly sales, up 19.4% year-over-year. Additionally, it achieved sales of 41,982 units in the new energy sector, up 3.15% month-over-month. The new energy segment is steadily rising, continuously contributing new sales momentum to the group.

In terms of new models, the company plans to launch over 10 models in 2026. Currently, models such as the Haval Menglong PLUS, Great Wall H10, and facelifted Big Dog have already been launched. The new Ora 5 Travel Edition is also set to debut soon.

Regarding the brand's annual target of 1.8 million units, Great Wall Motor sold 920,300 units in the first three quarters, with the target achievement rate just over 50%. In the fourth quarter, it needs to sell nearly 290,000 units per month to barely reach the target, making the final push somewhat challenging.

In Conclusion:

Overall, the competitive landscape among the five automakers remains unchanged, but their paces vary. BYD continues to dominate, with 463,561 units sold, leaving its pursuers far behind. Chery and Geely are in close competition, with just a 140-unit gap between their sales of 292,308 and 292,168 units, respectively. Changan and Great Wall are steadily advancing at their own paces.

When comparing the performance of these five automakers, it is evident that their export proportions are collectively rising, with overseas expansion gradually shifting from a bonus to a fundamental aspect of their business. In terms of progress in the first three quarters, Chery is closest to its target, while Geely and Changan have significant gaps to fill, and Great Wall has even more ground to make up. Entering the fourth quarter, each automaker will continue to strive towards their annual sales targets by leveraging new product launches.

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