The Beast Has Arrived: This Automaker Is an All-Rounder with Real Expertise

Chilly July, when industry negative growth, especially Chinese passenger cars domestic wholesale retail July and January-July both plummeted by over 20%, its independent passenger car sales still rose against the trend for seven consecutive months, and accounted for over 70%;

In May, it was the industry's first Chinese automaker with historical sales exceeding 100 million vehicles;

In July, it was the only automaker in China's automotive industry with over 2 million vehicles in half a year.

Some say it is the all-subject champion of the Chinese auto market!

It, who is it?

It, how was it forged?

(I) Black July, a Touch of Gold

July 2026, the Chinese auto market encountered a rare "Summer Cold Snap".

Data from the China Passenger Car Association shows that retail sales of passenger cars nationwide in July reached 1.461 million vehicles, down 20.9% year-on-year, down 8.8% month-on-month; retail sales cumulative to date were 10.173 million vehicles, down 20.3% year-on-year;

July fuel vehicle retail sales down 41% year-on-year, among which pure fuel vehicles down 44%, regular hybrid down 4%. Among fuel vehicles, independent down 46%, mainstream joint venture down 40%, luxury down 28%, all undifferentiatedly hit hard by high oil prices.

July new energy vehicle retail sales down 3.9% year-on-year, among which independent down 4%, mainstream joint venture up 36%, luxury down 23%, independent economy EV domestic retail was significantly affected by subsidy plummet.

July independent brand retail 1.04 million vehicles, down 14% year-on-year, down 6% month-on-month. The month's independent brand domestic retail share was 71%, up 5.4 percentage points year-on-year.

Data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers seems like Typhoon White Dolphin No. 13 in 2026, making people feel chilling:

July domestic passenger car sales 1.345 million vehicles, down 10.1% month-on-month, down 24.7% year-on-year, while fuel vehicle sales 429,000 vehicles, down 383,000 year-on-year, down 12.5% month-on-month, down 47.2% year-on-year.

January-July, domestic passenger car sales 9.633 million vehicles, down 24.4% year-on-year, among which fuel vehicles 4.123 million vehicles, down 2.116 million year-on-year, down 33.9% year-on-year.

January-July, domestic sales 11.462 million vehicles, down 21.4% year-on-year. Among them, traditional fuel car domestic sales were 5.364 million vehicles, down 30.1% year-on-year.

January-July new energy vehicle exports 2.909 million vehicles, up 1.2 times year-on-year. Traditional fuel car exports 3.231 million vehicles, up 36.2% year-on-year.

Off-season plus structural adjustment, the whole industry is permeated with a breath of contraction and survival.

Most brand target completion rates are less than 40%, inventory is high, price war intensifies.

Just in the cold of Black July, SAIC Motor Group handed in a rising scorecard!

July total vehicle sales 339,000 vehicles, January-July cumulative sales 2.384 million vehicles, continuing to rank first among Chinese automotive enterprises.

More interesting is the change of structure.

Independent brand July sales 257,000 vehicles, up 19.9% year-on-year, achieving seven consecutive months of year-on-year growth this year, more importantly, July independent brand share was as high as 75.8%, and January-July independent cumulative sales 1.725 million vehicles, up 13.6% year-on-year, independent sales share reached 72.4%, up 0.7 percentage points month-on-month compared to the first half of the year.

Looking at its new energy vehicles, July sales 177,000 vehicles, up 50.7% year-on-year, month's penetration rate 52.2%, reaching the high level of Chinese new energy vehicle July sales penetration rate breaking 50% for the first time.

Finally look at overseas markets, July sales 142,000 vehicles, up 72.5% year-on-year, overseas share as high as 42.9%, and January-July overseas exports 876,000 vehicles, up 52.1% year-on-year, overseas share 36.7%.

When the whole industry declined, especially passenger car retail wholesale declined by 20%, SAIC's three major growth engines, all ran double-digit or even doubled growth rates, this is not simply a quantity progress, but a breakthrough in quality.

Looking at January-July, SAIC cumulative sales 2.384 million vehicles, with an advantage of about 156,000 vehicles to crush the runner-up, firmly holding the top spot.

In the context of top automakers especially automotive central SOEs generally negative growth, SAIC held the position with year-on-year basically flat performance, and its independent, new energy, overseas three core sectors growth far exceeded the industry average.

This means, SAIC's basic position is undergoing profound structural replacement, especially its independent and joint venture balance has undergone fundamental reversal.

(II) Despite Wind and Rain, the King Returns

May 28, 2026, Shanghai North Bund World Living Room, in the applause of industry amazement and user pride, SAIC Motor Group held the global 100 millionth user delivery ceremony, its 15 brands, 19 models with global relay delivery method across Asia-Europe, linked globally, officially became the first automobile group in Chinese automotive industry history with cumulative production and sales exceeding 100 million vehicles.

Dare to be first for China.

From 1955 alley workshop start, to 1958 workers used hammer to knock out Phoenix car to achieve zero breakthrough, SAIC, long ago like FAW and Hongqi, became the label and symbol of Chinese automobiles.

Dare to be first for sedans.

From 1983 Santana offline to open Chinese sedan joint venture era, to 2006 independent brand Roewe birth.

Dare to be first for era.

From 2016 global first Internet car Roewe RX5 exploding Internet of Vehicles, to 2020IM Motorsestablished anchor high-end intelligent electric, SAIC over 70 years of development history, itself is a Chinese auto industry from nothing to something, from weak to strong evolution history.

Since this century, SAIC once continuously 18 years蝉联Chinese auto sales champion, is the industry leader without doubt.

In the new energy wave intense shock, SAIC also once briefly slipped to runner-up position, also exists doubt:

Relying on joint venture era ended?

Elephant turning too slow?

Time is the best referee!

First half of 2026, SAIC with 2.045 million vehicles became domestic only breakthrough 2 million vehicles threshold automaker, strongly grabbed half-way champion;

January-July continued leading, King returns.

From 100 million vehicles historical height to King leading reality speed, SAIC used market performance prove:

Scale leading is not the end, quality leading is the direction.

This is not accidental bottom rebound, but a long-term brewing systematic reform concentrated cash out.

Early 2025, SAIC started large passenger car, large commercial vehicle sector reform integration,打通 product definition, R&D, production, marketing full link, compress management level and decision chain;

Joint venture sector, SAIC-GM renewed to 20 years to 2047 start Zhijing model, SAIC Volkswagen renewed to 2040 to enter technical co-creation, SAIC Audi start ADP Platform new strategic cooperation.

As Chinese auto joint venture pioneer and vanguard, this time, SAIC's three major joint venture brands all completed from technology introduction to co-creation and joint research paradigm upgrade.

Thus far, SAIC in joint venture, passenger car, commercial vehicle, overseas market layout all completed, overall from planning layout "entered full sprint phase.

(III) All-Rounder, Real Skills

If use one word summarize SAIC current competitive state, that is:

All-Rounder!

No obvious weakness, every subject is improving, and several core subjects are sprinting for good, excellent, impact full score.

Passenger and Commercial Vehicles Together, is chassis stability.

Passenger car sector, SAIC Passenger Car July sales 107,000 vehicles, up 78.2% year-on-year, January-July cumulative 656,000 vehicles, up 53.4% year-on-year;

IM Motors January-July cumulative sales 46,000 vehicles, up 82.4% year-on-year, high-end process continuous acceleration;

SAIC-GM-Wuling monthly sales maintain 100,000 vehicles level scale,Huajing SJuly delivery breakthrough 7,200 vehicles, cumulative delivery breakthrough 20,000 vehicles, joined flagship large six-seater new energy SUV first echelon.

Commercial vehicle sector, SAIC Maxus July sales 23,000 vehicles, up 29.8% year-on-year, January-July cumulative 161,000 vehicles, up 29.2% year-on-year;

SAIC Hongyanand Thailand top port large customer reached 1,000 vehicles new energy heavy truck strategic cooperation, break foreign brand in Thailand heavy truck market monopoly pattern.

Large commercial vehicle strategy anchor Chinese light van first, new energy light commercial first, overseas light commercial export first three support, passenger commercial together, dual-wheel drive pattern has formed.

Oil and Electric Intelligence, is technology equity.

SAIC did not bet on single technology route, but with full scenario, full technology route, full price band product portfolio cover market.

Pure electric, extended range, plug-in hybrid, fuel four lines advance, and every line all put out hard technology:

DMH hybrid thermal efficiency 46.3%, Star Super Extended Range pure electric range 450 km, semi-solid state battery global first batch mass production on board, wire-controlled steering technology first mass production landing.

More importantly technology equity, 60,000 yuan level Roewe i6 standard 8155 chip, Doubao Large Model, 90,000 yuan levelMG4Xfull series semi-solid state battery, rear drive five-link, 150,000 yuan level Clever Zhijing E7 first launch Doubao Large Model, Qualcomm 8775 chip, 200,000 yuan level Shangjie full series Huawei ADS 4.1+896-line LiDAR.

July,IM LS9 Hyperfirst standard full line wire-controlled four-wheel steering, bring million-level luxury technology into 300,000 yuan level interval;

MG07 will 800V+5C fast charging and 845 km range into 150,000 yuan pure electric coupe market, pre-sale 20 hours orders breakthrough 21,000, listing less than two minutes large order break 10,000.

SAIC Roewe and ByteDance Volcano Engine deep co-creation global first AI native car—Jia Yue 07 open blind order, put far beyond 250,000 yuan level full family configuration down into 150,000 yuan mainstream price interval,凭借 spacious space, long range capability, fully equipped cabin and Momenta R7 world model, bring more Chinese families high-quality travel experience. Currently, Jia Yue 07 blind order orders have exceeded 11,000.

Technology is no longer cold numbers on parameter sheet, but user-perceived value experience.

This is exactly knowing cars better knowing you better implementation.

Domestic and Overseas Both Thriving, is space breakthrough. 

Domestic market steady leading at the same time, overseas market is becoming SAIC growth second curve.

January-July overseas cumulative sales 876,000 vehicles, up 52.1% year-on-year; July single month 142,000 vehicles, up 72.5% year-on-year.

Europe as largest overseas market, MG brand January-July cumulative sales 218,000 vehicles, up 22.8% year-on-year,蝉联Chinese brand Europe sales champion, and became first in Europe cumulative sales breakthrough 1 million vehicles Chinese auto brand.

SAIC in shareholders meeting explicitly propose "No Overseas, No Survival", this year Europe target 400,000 vehicles, Spain factory steadily promote.

More symbolic significance is, July 8, MG in UK London held technology conference, bring frontier smart electric technology back to brand birthplace;

July 9, MG appeared Goodwood Festival of Speed, global launch MG Go! and Cyber Concept two concept cars.

From Frankfurt to London, from product export to technology output, SAIC's Glocal 3.0 strategy is realizing from going out to going up leap:

Scale expansion to value creation, product output to standard output.

Dual Excellence in Culture and Tech, is ecosystem depth.

Culture is brand and culture, Tech is technology and manufacturing.

SAIC nearly 10 years in electrification, intelligentization field cumulative investment nearly 190 billion yuan, own over 24,000 valid patents, build autonomous controllable technology base.

But SAIC's ambition not limited to making cars:

Through strategic direct investment, SAIC has cumulative investment over 18 billion yuan, harvest 85 listed companies, build AI, humanoid robot, chip, intelligent chassis industry ecosystem network.

Momenta HKEX IPO, SAIC is largest external shareholder;

CXMT STAR Market listing, fundraising 57.9 billion yuan create STAR Market record, SAIC Financial Holdings is early investor;

2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, SAIC 34 invested companies centralized appearance, from underlying computing chip to large model, from embodied intelligence to brain-computer interface, cover AI full industry chain.

Invest its use, use so investment production investment integration model, let SAIC from manufacturer to eco-tech enterprise transformation, ecosystem is becoming its widest moat.

(IV) Through Cycles, SAIC DNA

Look back SAIC over 70 years history, it through joint venture opening cycle, independent brand rise cycle, new energy disruption cycle, and current intelligence and globalization superposition new cycle.

Every time industry upheaval, once had voice pessimistic:

SAIC can't do it?

But every time, SAIC used performance respond to doubt.

Behind logic is breakthrough, cooperation, quality three cultural genes throughout.

Breakthrough, is from alley workshop to 100 million vehicle level automaker dare to be first;

Cooperation, is from Santana joint venture to Huawei, Momenta, Audi co-creation and joint research open mindset;

Quality, is from Santana localization establish world-class quality system to Magic Cube Battery zero spontaneous combustion record ultimate pursuit.

Three in one, landing on:

Knows Cars Better, Knows You Better!

Know Cars is to core technology ultimate pursuit, Know You is to frontier technology landing to user-perceived beautiful travel experience.

2026 Fortune Global 500 Ranking, SAIC ranked 125th, up 13 positions from last year.

In 15th Five-Year Plan intelligent connected new energy vehicle clearly new quality productive forces core track opening year, SAIC with mid-season leading momentum, with 100 million vehicle milestone posture, with four major coordinated efforts state, for Chinese auto industry high-quality development write SAIC footnote.

Black July will pass, but through cycles ability will not fade.

When industry expect galloping horses new pattern, one horse leading SAIC, one special All-Rounder already prove:

True Kings are not those who never fall, but those who always get up!

And, each time getting up again, can:

Grab some mud, seize opportunities;

With reflection, with exploration;

Climb faster, run faster;

Stand higher, live longer!