Caution weighs on April's auto sales China's automotive market experienced a notable slowdown in retail momentum during April, driven by a combination of factors including a surge in new vehicle launches, intense price competition, and cautious consumer behavior. The decline in demand was further influenced by the Tomb-Sweeping Day holiday and the wait-and-see attitude of buyers following the Beijing auto show, which featured dozens of new model introductions in late April. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, retail sales from April 1 to 26 totaled 1 million units, representing a 24 percent year-on-year decline and a 19 percent drop compared to the same period in March. New energy vehicle (NEV) retail sales reached 614,000 units in April, a 11 percent year-on-year decrease, despite continued growth in NEV penetration rates. SAIC Motor, the country’s top-selling automaker, sold 328,000 vehicles in April, retaining its position as the leading brand for a fourth consecutive month. However, this marked a 12.66 percent year-on-year decline, primarily due to underperformance from its joint ventures. SAIC Volkswagen’s sales plummeted to 40,000 units in April, half the figure from April 2025, while SAIC GM’s deliveries fell 17.3 percent to 34,700 units. BYD followed closely behind SAIC, with sales of 321,100 vehicles, a 15.5 percent year-on-year drop, though this represented a 7 percent increase from March. The company’s overseas sales rose 70.9 percent year-on-year to 134,500 units, helping offset domestic competition. Despite the decline, BYD maintained its dominance in the NEV sector, selling over 1.02 million vehicles in the first four months of the year. Chery demonstrated strong growth, selling 251,400 vehicles in April, a 25.2 percent year-on-year increase.#byd #geely #china_passenger_car_association #saic_motor #chery
