The Best-Selling Cars in China in the First Half of 2025
Major changes have occurred in the development of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in 2025. In China, the sales volume of NEVs has surpassed that of gasoline-powered vehicles for the first time, with a penetration rate reaching 50%. This represents a strong performance following the Chinese government's basic phasing out of subsidies for NEVs, and data-wise, it proves that the product competitiveness of NEVs has already gained recognition from the market. Therefore, if you are choosing to buy a car, you must give NEVs a more important position.
Another key feature today is that the NEV sector is no longer engaged in a price war. Well-known Chinese automakers have placed automotive intelligence and autonomous driving at the core of their competitive strategies. For instance, BYD's Intelligent Driving Equality Initiative has, for the first time, applied L2-level advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to electric vehicles priced at USD 10,000. This will further widen the gap between traditional gasoline-powered vehicles and NEVs, and further enhance the user experience of NEVs.
Next, I will provide a detailed introduction to the most outstanding NEVs in the first half of 2025:
TOP 1: Galaxy Star Wish
In the first half of 2025, the "star wish" model under Geely Galaxy secured the top spot in China's auto market sales with a stunning 205,000 units sold. Its market performance did not stop there—it also maintained a steady monthly sales growth of approximately 3,800 units, making it almost certain that its annual sales will exceed the 500,000-unit mark.
The name "Galaxy Star wish" may still be unfamiliar to some consumers, but behind it stands Geely Holding Group, a major Chinese automaker (which is also the parent company of Zeekr, a high-end pure electric brand). The strong backing of the group provides solid guarantees for star wish in terms of product reliability, technological maturity, and service system.
Analyzing the "code" to its success, its core advantages are clear:
- Disruptive pricing strategy: The starting price is precisely positioned at USD 10,000 (directly competing with BYD Seagull), establishing an unshakable cost-performance benchmark in its class.
- Class-leading space performance: Although positioned as a subcompact car, it boasts an ultra-long wheelbase of 2,650mm that outperforms its peers (BYD Seagull has a wheelbase of 2,500mm). Combined with an in-car space utilization rate of up to 85%, it creates a spacious riding experience that surpasses its class. Its storage capacity is also outstanding, with a front trunk volume of 70L, greatly enhancing daily usability.
- Precise user insight (female-friendly): It deeply focuses on the needs of female consumers, one of the core customer groups for subcompact cars. Beyond its aesthetic design, it integrates a number of thoughtful features. For example, it is equipped with a vanity mirror with a surrounding fill light and other practical configurations, accurately winning the favor of female users.
Immersive Experience of Geely Galaxy Star wish: Click the video link below to experience the charm of this top-selling model:
TOP 2: BYD Seagull
In the first half of 2025, BYD Seagull firmly secured the second position on the sales list with 174,912 units sold. Although overtaken by Geely Galaxy Star Wish, its average monthly sales remained stable at a high level of 30,000 units, demonstrating enduring product vitality.
Currently, Seagull is only available as a pure electric model, with a starting price of approximately USD 10,000 and a driving range of 305-405km.
Seagull's configurations are very similar to those of Geely Galaxy Star Wish. Seagull's starting price is USD 300 lower than Star Wish, while its driving range is 5km less. There are no significant differences in other core parameters.
A hidden advantage of Seagull lies in its stronger international presence—for example, it has already established factories in Brazil, Southeast Asia, Europe, and other regions. It is believed that there will also be better after-sales service facilities in these local markets.
Immersive Experience of BYD Seagull:
TOP 3: Tesla Model Y
Model Y ranks among the top three in sales. In the first half of 2024, its cumulative sales in the Chinese market reached 171,491 units, with global sales standing at 456,024 units—China's market contributed 37.6% of the global sales.
In the Chinese market, Model Y underwent partial design updates in 2024 while maintaining its original price: the rear-wheel drive version starts at USD 37,600, and the dual-motor all-wheel drive version is approximately USD 44,000. This strategy of "upgrading without price increase" effectively strengthened its cost-performance advantage, helping the model's monthly sales in China rebound from over 30,000 units to more than 50,000 units.
TOP 4: BYD Qin Plus
BYD Qin Series is a regular on the sedan sales list. Relying on its highly competitive price and BYD's profound technological strength, it has long maintained a leading position in the segmented market.
BYD named this model after the "Qin" Dynasty, the first unified dynasty in Chinese history, which fully reflects the high expectations placed on it.
The series offers two powertrain options: pure electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (DM-i). The plug-in hybrid version starts at approximately USD 10,000, while the pure electric version starts at about USD 1,500 higher. Specifically:
- Plug-in hybrid model (DM-i): Pure electric driving range covers 55 to 120 km.
- Pure electric model (EV): Driving range can reach 420 to 510 km.
As BYD's "flagship" model, Qin Plus has few direct competitors in the new energy sector; its core rivals are actually mainstream traditional fuel sedans such as Nissan Sylphy, Volkswagen Lavida, and Toyota Corolla. Its epoch-making significance lies in: realizing "price parity between NEVs and fuel vehicles" for the first time in the same class, completely changing the previous situation where electric vehicles were generally priced higher than fuel vehicles of the same class due to high costs.
For car rental companies, Qin Plus is an indispensable model:
- It is currently the most widely used taxi in the Chinese market.
- Its core advantages include: affordable price, reliable quality (even after years of high-intensity operation, the failure rate remains extremely low).
- As a new energy vehicle, its energy consumption cost is much lower than that of fuel vehicles, but the fare standard charged to passengers is the same as that of fuel-powered taxis, significantly improving operational economy.
TOP 5: Wuling Hongguang MINIEV
Even facing fierce competition from many peer models such as Changan Lumin and Chery QQ, Hongguang MINIEV still delivered an impressive sales performance in the first half of this year—selling a total of 171,064 units, continuously consolidating its position in the segmented market.
In terms of price, its starting price is only USD 5,000, about half of BYD Seagull's, making its entry threshold significantly lower; in terms of driving range, the range covers 120-215km, which is fully suitable for high-frequency travel scenarios such as daily short commutes and grocery shopping, offering strong practicality.
It is worth mentioning that although positioned as a microcar (with a length of only 3.2m), it breaks the stereotype that "small size = low practicality": it is not only equipped with a four-door design and can accommodate up to 4 passengers to meet light passenger-carrying needs but also comes with practical configurations such as reverse image and automatic parking—these features are relatively rare even in many fuel vehicles of the same price range, further enhancing its product competitiveness and making it a top choice for many young people pursuing cost-effective travel.
You can experience this car immersively through the following video:
TOP 6: Xiaomi SU7
The SU7 is the first electric vehicle under Xiaomi Group (not "under Xiaomi Mobile Phone"—car manufacturing is a strategic business of the group). Since its launch, it has demonstrated remarkable market influence. Data shows that its cumulative sales reached 155,692 units in the first half of 2024, achieving outstanding results.
Looking back at its development history: in 2021, Xiaomi Group officially announced its entry into the automotive industry—at that time, Apple Inc. was also advancing its car-making plan but later abandoned it due to strategic adjustments. As the "debut work" of the group's layout in the automotive sector, the SU7 is positioned as a high-performance flagship sedan, which took 3 years of dedicated R&D to launch. It is worth noting that the model set a record of 240,000 pre-orders at the initial stage of its release, breaking the global pre-order record for electric vehicles in one fell swoop, fully demonstrating market recognition.
In terms of price, the SU7 starts at approximately USD 30,000, which is about USD 3,000 lower than the Tesla Model 3, giving it a significant cost-performance advantage. More importantly, in terms of core parameter performance, the SU7 outperforms the Tesla Model 3 in most dimensions: for example, in terms of driving range, the Tesla Model 3 has a range of 634 km (under CLTC conditions), while the SU7 can reach 700 km (under CLTC conditions); in terms of body size, the SU7 is about 20 cm longer than the Model 3, providing a better space experience.
The following is a comparison table of some core parameters between the SU7 and Tesla Model 3:
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The Xiaomi SU7 also shows strong appeal in the European and American markets. Even though local users have to bear relatively high import tariff costs, a large number of overseas buyers still take the initiative to consult us and place orders for the vehicle.
Taking the German market as an example, many customers reported after experiencing the SU7 that the exterior design of the Xiaomi SU7 combines a sense of technology and aesthetics, and experiences such as intelligent interaction and driving comfort in daily use are significantly better than those of Tesla's models in the same class. This has become the core reason for their choice of the SU7.
If you are interested in the Xiaomi SU7 or other imported Chinese automobiles, please feel free to contact us at any time—we will provide you with professional consulting services on import policies, interpretation of vehicle configurations, and car ordering procedures to help you easily obtain your desired vehicle.
TOP 7: BYD Qin L
The BYD Qin L can be regarded as an upgraded iteration of the Qin Plus. Its starting price is USD 14,000, approximately USD 4,000 higher than the Qin Plus. Since its official launch in 2024, the Qin L has maintained a strong sales growth momentum, with sales reaching 11,033 units in the first half of 2025. With its outstanding market performance, it is expected to replace the Qin Plus as the best-selling model under BYD in the future.
The core competitive advantages of the Qin L are mainly reflected in the following three aspects:
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Better space performance: The body length is 10 cm longer than that of the Qin Plus, directly bringing a more spacious in-car riding space. Significant improvements have been made in both the legroom of the front row and the riding comfort of the rear row.
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Upgraded powertrain technology: The Qin L is equipped with BYD's fifth-generation DM-i hybrid technology, with the engine's maximum thermal efficiency reaching 46.06%; under NEDC conditions, its fuel consumption when the battery is depleted is as low as 2.9L/100km, and its comprehensive driving range even exceeds 2,100km. In contrast, although the fourth-generation DM-i technology adopted by the Qin Plus is already competitive, there is still a gap in parameters—its NEDC fuel consumption when the battery is depleted is 3.8L/100km, and its comprehensive driving range is 1,245km.
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Dual improvement in stability and intelligence: In addition to the optimization of basic driving stability, the Qin L has also upgraded its intelligent configurations, including the intelligent cockpit interaction experience and L2-level advanced driver assistance functions, resulting in a significant improvement in the overall intelligence level compared with the Qin Plus.
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TOP 8: Volkswagen Lavida
As a compact sedan developed by SAIC Volkswagen exclusively for the Chinese market, Lavida has achieved cumulative sales of over 6 million units since its official launch in 2008, relying on core advantages such as balanced product strength and precise adaptation to family car needs. It has gradually become a recognized benchmark of "national family sedan" in China's auto market.
In the market competition in the first half of 2025, Lavida continued its strong performance: its cumulative sales in the Chinese market during this period reached 136,900 units. It not only remained in the first echelon of compact sedan sales but also successfully topped the sales list of fuel-powered models—its sales were slightly higher than that of Nissan Sylphy, another popular family sedan, further consolidating its leading position in the segmented market of fuel-powered family sedans.
TOP 9: Nissan Bluebird SYLPHY
Relying on its core advantages of "fuel efficiency, comfort, and reliability," the Nissan Bluebird SYLPHY continues to lead the compact sedan market. The 2025 model has further consolidated its position as a "family sedan benchmark" through the introduction of the e-POWER hybrid system, intelligent upgrades, and youthful design. The sales volume of Sylphy reached 136,344 units in the first half of 2025.
Volkswagen Lavida is the most direct competitor of Sylphy. The following is a comparison of their core parameters:
Powertrain Performance
- Lavida: Equipped with 1.5L naturally aspirated engine + 6AT or 1.5T Evo2 engine, delivering linear power output, making overtaking on highways more relaxed and suitable for long-distance driving.
- Sylphy: Equipped with 1.6L naturally aspirated engine + CVT transmission combination, with responsive initial acceleration, making it agile for urban commuting, but the power in the later stage of high-speed driving is slightly insufficient.
Comfort
- Lavida: Features a solid chassis, good support during cornering, a stable steering wheel, but the bulge in the center of the rear floor is relatively high.
- Sylphy: Its seats are known as "mobile sofas," with a suspension tuning that leans towards comfort and excellent shock absorption, but it has relatively high tire noise and slightly inferior driving quality at high speeds.
Space Layout
- Lavida: Has a body size of 4,678mm and a wheelbase of 2,688mm, offering spacious lateral space and a trunk volume of 510L.
- Sylphy: Has a body length of 4,652mm and a wheelbase of 2,712mm, providing more ample legroom in the rear row and a trunk volume of 560L.
The official starting price of Sylphy in China is approximately USD 16,000. However, affected by the price competition in the new energy vehicle market, domestic dealers have launched certain discounts at the retail end, and the actual selling price can be as low as approximately USD 11,000. If you need a more accurate quotation, you can consult ZEEX AUTO.
TOP 10: BYD Song Plus
The models under BYD's Dynasty Series are named after dynasties in Chinese history, with a clear positioning distinction in the product matrix: among them, Qin (sedan), Song (SUV), and Yuan (SUV) are economical models, focusing on high cost-performance; Han (sedan) and Tang (SUV) belong to the mid-to-high-end camp, focusing on quality and performance experience.
As an important member of the Song family in the Dynasty Series, the BYD Song Plus further enriches product options, offering both plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and pure electric (BEV) powertrain versions. In the 2025 SUV market, this model performed brilliantly, ranking second in the annual sales list with a cumulative sales volume of 13,507 units, second only to the Tesla Model Y.
In terms of price and driving range: the pure electric version of Song Plus starts at USD 19,900, and the plug-in hybrid version is approximately USD 2,000 cheaper than the pure electric version, offering a more cost-effective advantage; in terms of driving range, the pure electric version provides an optional range of 520-605km, meeting the needs of daily commuting and medium-to-long-distance travel; the pure electric range of the plug-in hybrid version covers 75-160km, suitable for users who prefer electric driving for short distances and fuel driving for long distances.
