While foreign automakers continue to dominate China’s luxury car market, recent sales data for 2025 reveals a limited presence of domestic brands among the top performers. Only BYD, with its Yangwang U8 and U8L models, cracked the top 20, taking the 16th and 15th spots respectively. The rankings, compiled by Car News China, underscore the strong consumer preference for established international luxury brands in the world’s largest automotive market.
Foreign automakers are facing increasing challenges in China’s mainstream car market, but continue to hold strong in the luxury segment. Recent data indicates that only two – effectively one – Chinese brands appeared among the 20 best-selling luxury vehicles in the country for 2025.
The Yangwang U8 ranked 16th on the list, and the U8L, its long-wheelbase variant, came in 15th. Sales figures for these models reached 1,112 and 1,538 units respectively in 2025, significantly lower than the top five performers, each exceeding 10,000 units sold. This demonstrates the continued dominance of established international brands in the high-end Chinese automotive market. The success is largely attributed to BYD’s premium brand, which produces not only the capable U8 and U8L, but also the U9 electric hypercar.
The 2025 rankings were led by the Porsche Cayenne, with over 17,000 units sold. This performance is notable given recent challenges Porsche has faced in the Chinese market. The second spot was also a surprise, taken by the Land Rover Range Rover, with nearly 17,000 units sold. The British manufacturer also secured third place with its current-generation Defender, indicating strong consumer preference for the brand in China. The fourth and fifth positions were again claimed by Porsche, with the Panamera, followed by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
|
Rank |
Model |
Units Sold |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Porsche Cayenne |
17,194 |
|
2 |
Land Rover Range Rover |
16,956 |
|
3 |
Land Rover Defender |
15,831 |
|
4 |
Porsche Panamera |
12,396 |
|
5 |
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class |
11,311 |
|
6 |
Mercedes-Benz S-Class |
9,658 |
|
7 |
BMW 7 |
9,535 |
|
8 |
Mercedes-Benz GLS |
8,895 |
|
9 |
Land Rover Range Rover Sport |
6,954 |
|
10 |
BMW X7 |
4,369 |
|
11 |
Lexus LM |
4,021 |
|
12 |
Mercedes-Benz G-Class |
3,852 |
|
13 |
Mercedes-AMG G-Class |
2,405 |
|
14 |
Mercedes-Maybach GLS |
1,897 |
|
15 |
BYD Yangwang U8L |
1,538 |
|
16 |
BYD Yangwang U8 |
1,112 |
|
17 |
Porsche Taycan |
1,008 |
|
18 |
Lexus LS |
355 |
|
19 |
Maserati Levante |
200 |
|
20 |
Mercedes-AMG GLS |
83 |
The average price of a traditional car in China is approximately 170,000 yuan (roughly $7.9 million USD), while the premium segment averages 358,000 yuan (around $16.5 million USD). Both figures represent a slight decrease compared to 2024 averages, though several vehicles on the list exceed 1 million yuan (over $46.2 million USD).
Source: Car News China
