logo
In China, Sedans Still Thrive

In China, Sedans Still Thrive

Motor 16 days ago
We all know how much the Chinese market shapes the global automotive landscape. Any changes have an immediate impact on the rest of the auto world. Not only does China lead the race to electrification, but the country is also making great strides in technologies like advanced driver assistance, artificial intelligence, and autonomous driving.
But even as China races to market with new innovations and even more exciting product, one thing remains unchanged: Sedans still rule.
Even though the sedan has been largely overshadowed in by SUVs in markets like the US and Europe, the traditional four-door family car is still a huge success in China. Without that success, sedans might have already disappeared from the road entirely.
Half of Global Sales
According to research on global car sales in 2024, China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan) accounted for over 50 percent of the world's sedan sales, with 7.89 million units (+1%). Despite modest growth, the sedan is still considered a status symbol among Chinese drivers, which is why nearly all Chinese manufacturers still produce them, unlike many European and American counterparts.
The second largest market for sedans was the USA / Canada with 2.63 million units (+1%). Europe, surprisingly, is only in fifth place, behind the Middle East (1.15 million, including Iran) and Latin America (921,000). European consumers have always preferred hatchbacks, station wagons, and, of course, SUVs.
Top 10 Markets for Sedans In 2024
Country
Percentage of Cars Sold Are Sedans
Algeria
60%
Algeria
48%
Egypt
47%
Saudi Arabia
46%
Iran
46%
Azerbaijan
41%
Malaysia
36%
Bahrain
33%
China
33%
Tajikistan
33%
Toyota Remains on Top
Among manufacturers, Toyota maintains its leadership in the segment with nearly 2 million sedans sold in 2024. The Camry and Corolla models remain very popular, but the growth of Toyota's SUVs has negatively impacted sedan sales, which fell by 7 percent last year. Volkswagen Group also saw a decline of 4 percent, with 1.82 million units.
In contrast, Chinese brands show massive growth:
BYD
is third with 1.51 million sedans sold (+78%), Geely is seventh with 919,000 units (+36%), while Changan and Chery increased volumes by 19 percent (312,000 units) and 60 percent (298,000 units), respectively.
Top Selling Sedan Brands (2024)
Units sold (2024)
Toyota
1.75 Million
BYD
1.51 Million
Volkswagen
1.33 Million
Nissan
974,000
Honda
938,000
Hyundai
862,000
Mercedes
691,000
BMW
587,000
Tesla
560,000
Geely
528,000
Chevrolet
514,000
Kia
474,000
Audi
461,000
IKCO
295,000
Hongqi
251,000
Lexus
247,000
Changan
236,000
Suzuki
223,000
Chery
213,000
Saipa
174,000
The author of the article, Felipe Munoz, is an Automotive Industry Specialist at
JATO Dynamics
.
More Sedan News
The Best Sedans of 2025 (So Far)
There's a Reason Why Subaru WRX Sales Are Way Down
Share this Story
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Reddit
WhatsApp
E-Mail
Got a tip for us? Email:
tips@motor1.com
Join the conversation
(
)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Japan says $550 billion package in trade deal could finance Taiwanese chipmaker in US
Japan says $550 billion package in trade deal could finance Taiwanese chipmaker in US

Yahoo

time27 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Japan says $550 billion package in trade deal could finance Taiwanese chipmaker in US

By Makiko Yamazaki TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's $550 billion investment package agreed in this week's U.S. tariff deal could help finance a Taiwanese firm building semiconductor plants in the U.S., Japan's top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said on Saturday. Japan agreed to the sweeping U.S.-bound investment initiative, which includes equity, loans and guarantees, in exchange for lower tariffs on its exports to the U.S. However, the structure of the scheme remains unclear. "Japan, the United States, and like-minded countries are working together to build supply chains in sectors critical to economic security," Akazawa told public broadcaster NHK. To that end, he said projects eligible for financing under the package are not limited to U.S. or Japanese firms. "For example, if a Taiwanese chipmaker builds a plant in the U.S. and uses Japanese components or tailors its products to meet Japanese needs, that's fine too," he said, without specifying companies. The U.S. is significantly reliant on Taiwan's TSMC for advanced chip manufacturing, raising economic security concerns due to geographic proximity to China. TSMC announced plans for a $100 billion U.S. investment with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in March, on top of $65 billion pledged for three plants in the state of Arizona, one of which is up and running. Japan will use state-owned Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) for the investments. A recent law revision has enabled JBIC to finance foreign companies deemed critical to Japan's supply chains. Akazawa told NHK that equity investment would account for just about 1-2% of the $550 billion, suggesting that the bulk will come in the form of loans and guarantees. When asked about the White House statement that the U.S. would retain 90% of the profits from the package, he clarified that the figure refers only to returns on equity investment, which would represent a small fraction of the total. While Japan initially hoped to secure half of the returns, a loss from the concession on the profit-sharing would be marginal compared to the roughly 10 trillion yen ($67.72 billion) in tariff costs that could be avoided under the deal, he said. He added that Japan aims to deploy the $550 billion investments during Trump's current term. ($1 = 147.6600 yen) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Norris takes pole for F1's Belgian Grand Prix after Verstappen wins sprint
Norris takes pole for F1's Belgian Grand Prix after Verstappen wins sprint

Yahoo

time27 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Norris takes pole for F1's Belgian Grand Prix after Verstappen wins sprint

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Lando Norris took pole position Saturday for Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen won the sprint race earlier in the day. Norris set the fastest time early in the final session. His McLaren teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri couldn't quite beat it on his final run, taking second place, 0.085 of a second off Norris' pace. Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari, with Verstappen fourth. The likelihood of rain for Sunday's race could shake things up. Verstappen's sprint win Verstappen overtook Oscar Piastri and drove '15 qualifying laps' to win the Formula 1 sprint race at the Belgian GP as Red Bull begins a new era without fired team principal Christian Horner. Verstappen surged past Piastri on the straight on the first lap. The Australian was close behind Verstappen for the rest of the 15-lap sprint race but couldn't find a way past the four-time champion. Lando Norris, in the other McLaren, was third after retaking the place from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and catching up to Piastri. 'You're keeping faster cars behind, so you have to drive over the limit of what you think is possible,' Verstappen said. 'Tire management is out of the window, so that's what's making it really difficult. I'm just doing 15 qualifying laps to try and keep them behind on a track where tire management is important.' It was Verstappen's first race win of any sort since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May, and his first in a sprint since the United States Grand Prix last October. Piastri extends his lead over Norris in the standings to nine points from eight. Verstappen is third, 68 points off the lead. Leclerc held on to fourth and it was an impressive result for Haas, with Esteban Ocon fifth and Oliver Bearman seventh. Carlos Sainz, Jr. was sixth for Williams and Isack Hadjar took the final point for Racing Bulls in eighth. ___ AP auto racing: The Associated Press

WeRide Wins Permit for Autonomous Robotaxi Service in Shanghai, Partnering with Chery to Revolutionize Urban Mobility
WeRide Wins Permit for Autonomous Robotaxi Service in Shanghai, Partnering with Chery to Revolutionize Urban Mobility

Yahoo

time27 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

WeRide Wins Permit for Autonomous Robotaxi Service in Shanghai, Partnering with Chery to Revolutionize Urban Mobility

SHANGHAI, China, July 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD), a global leader of autonomous driving technology, has been granted a permit from the Shanghai municipal government to operate regulation-compliant, Level 4 (L4) autonomous Robotaxi ride-hailing services. Issued during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2025) in Shanghai, the permit enables WeRide, in partnership with Chery Group and Jinjiang Taxi, to deploy Robotaxis on public roads in Pudong New Area. This milestone also marks the WeRide Robotaxi's official entry into its tenth city globally. As part of WAIC's Level 4 Intelligent Vehicle Experience Showcase, the three partners jointly launched the event's only fully mass-produced, pre-installed L4 Robotaxi shuttle service. The service connects key Shanghai transport hubs and cultural-tourism landmarks, including the Shanghai World Expo Center, Jinqiao, Huamu, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and Shanghai Disney Resort. Residents, tourists, and conference attendees are able to book rides through the 'Jinjiang Smart Mobility' WeChat Chery Group, and Jinjiang Taxi jointly launched a Robotaxi shuttle service at WAIC 2025 WeRide, a pioneer and leader in the Robotaxi industry, and Chery Group, China's first independent brand to exceed one million vehicle sales, have joined forces to develop a new generation of mass-produced Robotaxis. Chery's premium new energy vehicle brand, EXEED, is advancing rapidly in smart, connected, and electric mobility, with significant progress in EV platform architecture. Together, they unveiled their jointly developed Robotaxi model — the CER — at Auto Shanghai 2025. The CER is built on WeRide's universal autonomous driving platform, WeRide One, and EXEED's STERRA ET vehicle architecture. At WAIC 2025, WeRide and Chery showcased the CER in active operation. Equipped with WeRide's High-Performance Computing platform and Sensor Suite 5.6, the CER features over 20 sensors — including cost-efficient LiDARs, HD cameras, and RTK-precision navigation modules — and incorporates five layers of redundant safety systems (steering, braking, parking, communication, and power supply redundancy). The CER's spacious interior and extended range on the EXEED STERRA ET platform enable it to support long-distance, all-scenario, high-frequency driverless shuttle services. Founded in 2017, WeRide has been at the forefront of Robotaxi R&D and commercial deployment. It has launched Robotaxi testing or operations across nine cities in three countries, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Ordos, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Riyadh, and Zurich, accumulating over 2,000 days of safe operation. The approval of the permit in Shanghai marks WeRide's entry into its tenth city globally, showcasing the company's robust autonomous driving technology and efficient global deployment capabilities. Looking ahead, WeRide will deepen collaborations with global partners to accelerate Robotaxi technological advancements, scale commercial deployments, and elevate service standards — driving cities worldwide toward a smarter, safer, and more connected transportation future. About WeRide WeRide is a global leader and a first mover in the autonomous driving industry, as well as the first publicly traded Robotaxi company. Our autonomous vehicles have been tested or operated in over 30 cities across 10 countries. We are also the first and only technology company whose products have received autonomous driving permits in five markets: China, the UAE, Singapore, France, and the US. Empowered by the smart, versatile, cost-effective, and highly adaptable WeRide One platform, WeRide provides autonomous driving products and services from L2 to L4, addressing transportation needs in the mobility, logistics, and sanitation industries. WeRide was named in Fortune Magazine's 2024 'The Future 50' list. Media Contact pr@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at lors de la récupération des données Connectez-vous pour accéder à votre portefeuille Erreur lors de la récupération des données Erreur lors de la récupération des données Erreur lors de la récupération des données Erreur lors de la récupération des données

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store