Brand Overview

SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (commonly referred to as SAIC Motor, stock code: 600104) is China's largest publicly listed automotive manufacturer, headquartered in Shanghai. The company's history can be traced back to 1955 with the establishment of the Shanghai Internal Combustion Engine Components Manufacturing Company. SAIC Motor was formally established in 1984 and was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 1997.

SAIC's operations span complete vehicles, automotive components, mobility and mobility services, financial services, and international business. Its portfolio includes proprietary brands such as IM Motors, Roewe, MG, Rising Auto and Shangjie, alongside joint venture brands operated in partnership with manufacturers including Volkswagen and General Motors. In 2025, SAIC sold 4.507 million vehicles, generated RMB 656.24 billion in operating revenue, and recorded RMB 10.11 billion in net profit attributable to shareholders.

History

SAIC's development can be divided into three major phases.

Joint Venture Foundation (1984–2000)

In 1985, SAIC established a joint venture with Volkswagen to form SAIC Volkswagen. The launch of the Santana helped open China's modern passenger car market. In 1997, SAIC formed SAIC General Motors with General Motors, establishing a product portfolio covering the mid-range and premium passenger vehicle markets.

Development of Proprietary Brands (2001–2015)

In 2006, SAIC launched the Roewe brand. In 2007, following the acquisition of technology assets from the former Rover Group, the company established the MG brand. During this period, proprietary brands grew to account for 28% of SAIC's total vehicle sales.

Intelligent Electrification Transformation (2016–Present)

In 2016, SAIC adopted the strategy of the "New Four Modernisations"—electrification, intelligent connectivity, vehicle sharing and internationalisation—as the foundation of its Thirteenth Five-Year Plan. In 2022, the company introduced its Seven Technology Platforms, and by 2025 cumulative research and development investment had exceeded RMB 150 billion. Proprietary brands accounted for 65% of total vehicle sales, marking SAIC's strategic transition from reliance on joint ventures to a business led primarily by its own brands.

Brand Portfolio

SAIC has established a multi-tiered portfolio comprising proprietary brands, joint ventures and premium marques.

Within its proprietary brand portfolio, IM Motors is positioned in the premium intelligent electric vehicle segment, recording a 96.9% year-on-year sales increase during the first quarter of 2026. Roewe focuses on the mid-range and premium market, while MG targets younger consumers. Shangjie, introduced in 2025, is a new collaborative brand developed in partnership with Huawei.

SAIC's joint venture operations include partnerships with Volkswagen, General Motors and Audi, covering a broad range of vehicle segments. In 2025, SAIC Volkswagen sold 1.024 million vehicles, SAIC General Motors delivered 535,000 vehicles, and SAIC-GM-Wuling recorded sales of 1.615 million vehicles.

In the commercial vehicle sector, Maxus offers a range of light commercial vehicles, MPVs and related products. Sales increased 14.3% year on year during the first quarter of 2026.

Market Performance

In 2025, SAIC sold 4.507 million vehicles, representing 12.3% year-on-year growth. The company generated RMB 656.24 billion in consolidated operating revenue, an increase of 4.6%, while net profit attributable to shareholders rose 506.5% year on year to RMB 10.11 billion.

Sales of proprietary brands reached 2.928 million vehicles, up 21.6% year on year and accounting for 65% of total group sales. New energy vehicle sales totalled 1.643 million units, an increase of 33.1%, exceeding the national average growth rate for new energy vehicles by nearly five percentage points. Overseas sales and exports reached 1.071 million vehicles, up 3.1%, bringing cumulative overseas deliveries to more than 6 million units.

During the first quarter of 2026, SAIC achieved retail sales of 1.008 million vehicles, becoming the only Chinese automotive manufacturer to exceed one million quarterly vehicle sales. Net profit attributable to shareholders reached RMB 3.03 billion, representing 50.9% year-on-year growth. The company has set targets of 5 million vehicle sales and more than RMB 700 billion in operating revenue for the full year 2026.

Core Technologies

SAIC has invested more than RMB 150 billion in research and development and has accumulated nearly 26,000 valid patents.

Its Seven Technology Platforms 2.0 encompass dedicated vehicle architectures for battery electric, hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicles, together with battery systems, electric drive technologies and advanced hybrid systems.

In battery technology, SAIC has taken a leading position in solid-state battery development. The IM L6 became the company's first production model equipped with a first-generation solid-state battery, while the MG4 entered mass production with a semi-solid-state battery.

In intelligent driving, IM AD 3.0, featuring an end-to-end large language model architecture, has entered mass production. SAIC has also obtained Shanghai's only demonstration operating licence covering both passenger and commercial intelligent connected vehicles.

Its Lingshi Digital Chassis 3.0 integrates four-wheel steering with brake-by-wire technology, enabling millisecond-level coordination between vehicle control systems.

For hybrid powertrains, the DMH Super Hybrid System achieves a thermal efficiency exceeding 46.3%, enabling production models to deliver a driving range of up to 2,050 km.

SAIC has also established strategic technology partnerships with Momenta for intelligent driving algorithms and Horizon Robotics for automotive semiconductors, while contributing mass-production application scenarios for Huawei ADS 3.0.

International Presence

The year 2025 marked SAIC's transition from simply exporting vehicles to exporting its broader industrial value chain. The company officially launched its Overseas Strategy 3.0, known as the Glocal (Global + Local) Strategy.

During the year, SAIC exported 1.071 million vehicles and established three global research and innovation centres, including one in London, together with four overseas manufacturing bases in Thailand, Indonesia, India and Pakistan.

The company has developed one overseas regional market with annual sales exceeding 300,000 vehicles (Europe), alongside five additional regional markets each exceeding 50,000 annual vehicle sales. Its products are now available in more than 170 countries and regions.

The MG brand sold more than 300,000 vehicles across Europe and retained its position as China's leading single-brand vehicle exporter for the eleventh consecutive year. During 2025, MG sold 137,000 hybrid vehicles and 46,000 battery electric vehicles overseas.

Looking ahead, SAIC has set an overseas sales target of 1.5 million vehicles. The company intends to focus on intelligent connected vehicles and electrification while transforming from a traditional vehicle manufacturer into a comprehensive provider of mobility services and green technology solutions. Through its initiatives covering brand renewal, technological innovation, product renewal and channel transformation, together with continued expansion of its global industrial chain and innovation ecosystem, SAIC aims to establish a new model for the modern transformation of China's traditional automotive industry.