Describing the 2026 Chinese auto market as "brutal" is hardly an exaggeration.

The density of new car launches is staggering — over 600 new models launched nationwide in the first half, averaging 3 new cars entering the market daily. However, in sharp contrast to the product explosion, the overall market continues to shrink. According to CPCA statistics, domestic passenger car retail in the first half reached 10.318 million units, a year-on-year decline of 6.2%; other data shows cumulative retail of approximately 8.75 million units, with a drop as high as 20%. Li Bin of NIO stated explicitly at the Chongqing Forum that the industry needs to prepare for a year-on-year decline in annual retail volume of 15% to 20%. Market downturn, price war intensification, elimination round acceleration — this is the true background of the first half of 2026.

However, precisely in such a headwind situation, automakers with true system capabilities stand out. Compared to the high-profile battles of new forces on the public opinion field, the strategies of traditional automakers are steadier and results more solid. Geely Automobile is the most typical representative.

Data from CPCA shows that in the first half of 2026, Geely Automobile's terminal retail sales in the domestic narrow passenger car market reached 1.021 million units, topping the Chinese passenger car domestic sales champion at once, and also being the only domestic brand to break the 1 million unit sales mark. Adding overseas markets, cumulative total vehicle sales for Geely from January to June reached 1.423 million units, setting a new historical high for the same period.

The gold content of this achievement lies in that it was not supported by a single hit product, but the result of four brand matrices exerting balanced effort and layered positioning.

First, look at the main position of new energy Geely Galaxy. Cumulative sales reached nearly 520,000 units in the first half, with single-month sales in June breaking through 108,000 units. Among them, Geely Star Wish sales in June exceeded 50,000 units, retaining the title of China all-brand all-category model sales champion. What does this mean? A 100,000-level home new energy vehicle with monthly sales of 50,000+, placed in the entire passenger car market, is a ceiling-level existence. More worthy of attention is Star Wish's global strategy - domestic sales volume amortizes costs, overseas relies on product power for high premium, priced at 160,000 to 180,000 Yuan in the Brazilian market, exports in June accounted for 40% of its own total sales. Star Wish has not only become a legend in China, but also won sales champions in sub-categories in multiple countries such as Mexico and Indonesia. This "domestic volume + overseas premium" dual-wheel drive is the key to Geely's new energy segment being able to continue profitable.

Look at the high-end brand Zeekr next. Deliveries exceeded 178,000 units in the first half, a year-on-year increase of 97%. Its luxury 9 Series flagship model delivered nearly 150,000 units cumulatively - for every 3 luxury Chinese cars sold above 500,000 Yuan, 1 is a Zeekr 9X. The average transaction price of the entire Zeekr series has approached 350,000 Yuan, tearing a hole in the luxury car market where BBA has long dominated. This is not share won by low prices, but solid product power completing brand positioning in the high-end market.

Lynk & Co sales exceeded 144,000 units in the first half, continuing to expand. In the 150,000 to 300,000 Yuan sporty, globalized sub-sectors, continuously widening layout. And the China Star Series sales exceeded 580,000 units in the first half, consecutively retaining the title of Chinese brand fuel passenger car sales champion for 9 years. In today when almost all automakers are "abandoning fuel for electricity", Geely not only did not let the fuel car base collapse, but instead made the China Star Series a banner for domestic brand fuel cars.

Running on two legs, fuel and new energy, this is extremely rare among current Chinese automakers. The problem facing the vast majority of brands is: new energy grew, but fuel cars collapsed. Geely did not sacrifice cash flow and the basic base for new energy transformation - Galaxy responsible for volume expansion, Zeekr responsible for brand upward, Lynk & Co responsible for high-end electrification, China Star responsible for stabilizing the fuel base. Four brands perform their duties, not fighting each other, jointly constituting the underlying support for Geely's 1.021 million unit sales.

From a more macro dimension, Geely's growth logic is clearer. In the first half, cumulative new energy sales reached 799,500 units, penetration rate reached 56%, June single-month penetration rate even surged to 67%. Overseas market became the biggest variable - June exports 102,900 units, breaking through the single-month 100,000 unit threshold for the first time, skyrocketing 157% year-on-year; first half cumulative exports 474,200 units, 158% year-on-year increase, already exceeding the total export volume of 2025. In the context of domestic market shrinkage, overseas effectively offset the downward pressure of the local market.

More worthy of mention is that Geely is not a champion rushed out by "trading price for volume". The terminal retail data of 1.021 million units reflects real market demand, rather than warehouse-pressing wholesale numbers. In terms of product structure, the mainstream price range of 100,000 to 200,000 Yuan constitutes the main body of sales; in terms of brand structure, the four blocks of Galaxy, Zeekr, Lynk & Co, and China Star all achieved positive growth or steady progress. This growth quality of "volume and price rising together" is far more convincing than simple sales numbers.

Looking forward to the second half, Galaxy TT and Galaxy Warship 700 are about to launch, and i-HEV hybrid model production capacity will also increase. Especially Galaxy Warship 700 - developed based on Geely's native new energy off-road architecture, equipped with three-motor four-wheel drive system and AI intelligent four-wheel drive technology - this tough plug-in hybrid SUV is expected to add another spark to the emerging off-road new energy track. And i-HEV intelligent dual-engine as the world's first application of "AI Cloud Power" oil-electric hybrid system, can reduce HEV model fuel consumption to 3L per 100km, which will further consolidate Geely's technical moat in the hybrid field.

In the first half of 2026, Geely proved one thing with the 1.021 million unit terminal retail data: In the cycle of major industry reshuffling, those who can truly cross the cycle are never reliant on one or two viral products, but on a mature, balanced, sustainable product matrix and brand system.

Geely Automobile Group CEO Fan Jiayue once systematically expounded Geely's strategic determination to adhere to "long-termism" in the AI era; Li Shufu explicitly proposed to "forge a management team and an enterprise culture capable of fighting a war of attrition strategically". From "quantity expansion" to "quality leap", from multi-brand tactics to "One Geely" system integration - this automaker that has walked for forty years is proving in the most pragmatic way: Enterprises adhering to long-termism often walk further and more solidly.

When it comes to domestic car brands, many people's impression may still be stuck at the stage of mainstream family cars. However, this is already old news from a few years ago. You should know that current domestic car brands not only beat joint venture brands in the domestic market, but have also surpassed foreign car brands on multiple tracks such as high-end development and overseas exports. Take the Geely Automobile we are talking about today for example.

Growth Momentum Leads the Industry

According to the latest data released by the official, Geely Automobile's cumulative sales in May reached 237,637 vehicles. It achieved double growth year-on-year and month-on-month for three consecutive months, leading the overall market with stable growth and impressive results. However, compared to this already excellent total performance, many industry insiders, after seeing the sales results of each brand under Geely Automobile, will be amazed that its quality is also getting higher.

As is well known, there are two hardest markets in the automotive industry: the luxury high-end market and the overseas export market.

Taking Geely Automobile as an example, its "Global Luxury Technology Brand" — Zeekr Automobile, reached deliveries of 34,377 vehicles in May, an 81.8% increase year-on-year and an 8.1% increase month-on-month, achieving double growth for four consecutive months. The average transaction price per vehicle also increased by 52.4% year-on-year. What is even more shocking is that the sales share of Zeekr 9 Series and 8 Series, which are priced as high as 400,000 to 500,000, accounts for nearly 50%!

Not only that, Geely Automobile's "Global New Energy High-End Brand" — Lynk & Co, also achieved May sales of 20,732 vehicles, with new energy vehicle sales accounting for 70.8%, and the brand's cumulative sales have broken 1.8 million. This shows that Geely Automobile's high-end models have not only won the recognition of a large number of consumers with excellent product power, but have also completed the transformation of volume and price rising together at the brand level.

Of course, as the undisputed leading automotive enterprise in China, Geely Automobile's focus is no longer limited to the domestic market. It chose to go global to challenge the more difficult overseas market. This is not the case, May's overseas export achievement of 85,144 vehicles set a new record for export sales. It is worth mentioning that the hot-selling products of Geely Automobile brands overseas are also mostly high-end or new energy vehicles.

For example, Zeekr has entered more than 50 countries and regions, and the cumulative global delivery volume of Zeekr 7X has exceeded 160,000 vehicles; Geely Galaxy Starship 7 EM-i remained the champion of new energy plug-in hybrid SUV sales in Kazakhstan for March and April; Geely Galaxy E5 remained the champion of pure electric SUV-C market sales in Australia, Argentina, UAE, Morocco, and Uruguay for the first quarter, and stayed in the top three in Brazil, Uzbekistan, and Indonesia new energy pure electric SUV-C models!

Hardcore Strength Creates Brilliance

Obviously, whether it is the rapid sales growth trend, or the hot sales in new energy, high-end market and overseas market, it is inseparable from hard strength as support. Taking Lynk & Co Automobile as the first car racing brand in China for example, top technology shouldn't just stay on the marketing level, but must be proven on the track. Therefore, it recently announced carrying 03+ TCR Racer, 03++ Racer, and 03 CUP EVO three racing cars to participate in TCR China, CTCC China Cup, and Lynk & Co Cup three major events simultaneously.

With hardcore strength, Lynk & Co naturally fears no high-difficulty tests. In the two-round finals of TCR China, the 03+ TCR Racer achieved the results of 4 championships, 1 runner-up, and 2 third-place finishes with its hardcore performance strength; in the CTCC China Cup, the Lynk & Co Zongheng Racing Team even achieved the results of 2 championships, 2 runner-ups, and 1 third-place finish. At the same time, in the 2026 Season FIA TCR World Tour opener, the Starri TCR Racer of Geely China Star Racing Team (Geely Cyan Racing) also won the race in the final and brought back the historical first win. This not only means that Starri TCR has world-class competitiveness, but also marks that Geely China Star Racing Team has officially completed the first chapter of the Geely Automobile Sports New Era.

At the same time, in technical levels such as intelligence and safety, the Haohan inherited Geely and Volvo safety heritage, assisted driving mileage grew by 215% in one year, leading the entire industry with the fastest growth rate. In the recent Euro NCAP official test, Geely Galaxy Starship 7 EM-i (Geely STARRAY EM-i) successfully completed the exceeding standard bilateral serial limit crash test at the France UTAC Laboratory. This not only intuitively confirms Geely's leading vehicle safety technology and mature systematic safety strength, but also lays a solid foundation for Chinese automotive safety technology to go international and participate in global industry standards!

Daxia Car Talk: I believe many people, after seeing Geely Automobile's sales data, will have the praise "It's too comprehensive" in mind. After all, car enterprises that can achieve impressive results in new energy, high-end, overseas exports, and even on the track at the same time, let alone in the independent domestic brand circle, you can't even find a few car enterprises in the global automotive industry that can achieve these things simultaneously!

On June 1, Geely Automobile Holdings Co., Ltd. (shturl.) released May sales data, with sales reaching 237,637 units that month, achieving double-digit growth month-over-month and year-over-month for three consecutive months. New energy, overseas exports, and each brand segment delivered outstanding performance, demonstrating strong growth momentum.

Sales Rise Across the Board; New Energy Share Continues to Lead

In May, Geely Automobile's overall sales grew steadily, with its three core brands working in synergy:

• Geely brand sales reached 182,528 units, solidifying the group's sales foundation;
• Lynk & Co brand sales reached 20,732 units, cumulative sales exceeded 1.8 million;
• ZEEKR delivered 34,377 units, a year-on-year increase of 81.8%, achieving double-digit growth month-over-month and year-over-month for four consecutive months. The average transaction price per unit surged 52.4% year-on-year, with the 9-series and 8-series models accounting for nearly 50%.

Group new energy sales (including Geely, Lynk & Co, ZEEKR) reached 133,355 units, accounting for 56.1%, exceeding 50% for four consecutive months, showing significant results in new energy transformation.

Overseas markets achieved another breakthrough. May export sales reached 85,144 units, a new historical high. Among them, new energy product exports were 40,803 units, accounting for 47.9%, with global layout continuously deepening.

Multiple Brands Work in Unison; Product Matrix Continues to Upgrade

ZEEKR: Luxury Pure Electric Sales and Value Rise Together; Flagship New Product Leads with Power

The refreshed ZEEKR 009 officially launched on May 19, with a limited-time price starting at 413,800 yuan after benefits. The seven-seat Ultra+"Family Edition" order share exceeded 60%. The new car features a full-stack 900V high-voltage architecture, CLTC range of 720 km, adding 510 km of range in 10 minutes of charging, 0-100 km/h acceleration in just 3.9 seconds, paired with a 700 TOPS computing power Thor-U chip, achieving the pinnacle of intelligence and performance.

ZEEKR 7X global cumulative deliveries exceeded 160,000 units, expanding to over 40 regions in one year of going global; ZEEKR 9X cumulative deliveries surpassed 60,000 units, with shooting brake model confirmed orders continuously breaking 10,000.

Lynk & Co: Electrification Transformation Accelerates; Sports Performance Redefined

Lynk & Co May new energy model sales were 14,688 units, accounting for 70.8%. Lynk & Co 10 and Lynk & Co 10+ officially launched at the end of May and started the first batch of deliveries, redefining the standard for mid-to-large size sports pure electric sedans with ultimate driving control.

Coinciding with the brand's 10th anniversary, nearly 100 Lynk & Co stores nationwide completed image refreshes, and channel new energy transformation is landing on a large scale; meanwhile, signing Han Dongjun as the Automotive Sports Ambassador, with frequent race results, winning multiple championships in TCR China and CTCC events.

Geely Brand: Hit Models Frequently; Covering All Sub-segments

• Geely Galaxy: May sales 81,727 units, Xingyao 7 MAX sales exceeded 10,000 units within 23 hours of launch, all-new Xingyuan range fully upgraded, limited-time rights price starting at 61,800 yuan, 700,000 units delivered in 573 days;
• Geely China Star: May sales 100,801 units, double growth month-over-month and year-over-month, Boyue and Double Bin family year-on-year increase both exceeded 45%, Xingrui TCR race car won world-class event championships;
• New products such as Emgrand and Cowboy were launched successively, consolidating the leading position in the family car market; Emgrand family global cumulative sales exceeded 4.2 million units.

Dual Breakthrough in Globalization and Intelligence; Strengthening the Foundation for Development

Overseas markets bloomed in multiple points, with multiple ZEEKR and Geely Galaxy models topping sales lists in sub-segments in countries such as Australia, Mexico, and Malaysia; in May, Geely Automobile reached a strategic cooperation with the England team, continuously expanding the globalization "friend circle."

In the field of intelligence, Qianli Haohan assisted driving cumulative mileage reached 1.38 billion kilometers, activation rate 93.8%, year-on-year growth 215%, cumulative avoidance 8.9 million times, safety strength industry-leading. Geely Galaxy Starship 7 EM-i completed extreme collision tests, demonstrating Chinese automobile manufacturing strength with hardcore safety.

Based on the "One Geely" strategy, Geely Automobile will continue to deepen new energy and intelligence transformation, accelerate global layout, drive the Chinese automobile industry to continue upward with all-round upgrades in products, technology, and brands.