April is not usually a peak month for China's car market, but April 2026 was unusually revealing.

The global auto industry's first half was defined by electrification. Its second half will be shaped by intelligence. As that shift becomes reality and the world's motor show focus moves east, a landmark industry event is ready to open in Beijing.

“Judging by recent market trends, despite major policy shifts such as the withdrawal of tax exemptions for new energy vehicle purchases, I believe the car market will still get off to a strong start in January 2026.” “The outlook for the automotive market in 2026 is far from optimistic. For a period of time, it is even possible that growth in car sales will lag behind overall GDP growth.”

As 2026 gets under way, carmakers have begun releasing their 2025 sales figures, laying bare the intensity of competition across the industry.The numbers tell sharply different stories: some manufacturers have surged far ahead, outperforming expectations on the back of clear strategy, technological strength and strong product line-ups; others are grappling with severe headwinds and struggling to gain traction; while in certain camps, fortunes have diverged dramatically, producing a stark tale of winners and losers.

 China's auto market is heading into the end of 2025 with an unusually intense sales push, driven less by a traditional festive-season promotion than by a change in tax policy.

China's car market entered its year-end push with more intensity than usual.