China's H1 2026 Auto Market Slumps as Exports Rise and GL8 Leads MPV Sales

Domestic passenger‑vehicle retail sales in China fell 20.2% year‑on‑year in the first half of 2026, with only eight of the top‑20 brands posting growth. BYD, the market leader, saw a 21.4% drop, while several ICE‑focused brands fell even farther. Exports, however, surged 82.3% in June, cushioning the overall decline.

Buick announced that its GL8 MPV topped sales for the January‑June period, moving 47,261 units and securing the highest market‑share and resale‑value rankings among Chinese MPVs.

CITIC Securities’ research flagged the export surge as the main growth driver, projecting that major domestic makers such as BYD, Geely and Chery will focus on overseas sales and profit recovery in the second half of 2026 and into 2027.

NIO’s founder Li Bin said the company will not launch new models for the remainder of the year, opting to concentrate on selling the existing ES8 line-up and advancing its in‑house smart‑driving chip, the Shensha NX9031, which has already shipped over 300,000 units.