Measuring a manufacturer by sales volume alone gives half the picture. The sharper measure compares what it sold with what it promised, because the gap between the two reveals planning quality, inventory pressure and the pricing policy the company will follow the following year.
By that measure, 2025 results look sharply uneven among the ten largest Chinese marques.
Chinese marque sales in 2025 against their targets
| # | Marque | Sales | Target | Achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYD | 4,602,436 | 5,500,000 | 83.68% |
| 2 | Geely | 3,024,567 | 3,000,000 | 100.82% |
| 3 | Chery | 2,631,381 | 3,260,000 | 80.72% |
| 4 | Great Wall Motor | 1,323,672 | 4,000,000 | 33.09% |
| 5 | Leapmotor | 596,555 | 500,000 | 119.31% |
| 6 | Huawei HIMA | 589,107 | 1,000,000 | 58.91% |
| 7 | XPeng | 429,445 | 350,000 | 122.69% |
| 8 | Li Auto | 406,343 | 640,000 | 63.49% |
| 9 | Xiaomi | +400,000 | 350,000 | +114.29% |
| 10 | NIO | 326,028 | 440,000 | 74.10% |
Leapmotor, XPeng, Xiaomi and Geely exceeded their targets, while Great Wall reached a third of its ambitious goal. — Source ↗
At the top: Leapmotor achieved 119.31% of its target, XPeng 122.69%, Xiaomi exceeded 114%, and Geely passed its target by a narrow margin at 100.82%.
A company that misses its target tends towards discounts and pushing stock into export markets — which explains the generosity of Chinese offers in the Gulf.
At the bottom: Great Wall Motor achieved only 33.09% of a highly ambitious four-million target, Huawei HIMA 58.91%, Li Auto 63.49% and NIO 74.10%.
BYD is a special case deserving careful reading: 4.6 million cars is an enormous figure by any measure, but it represents 83.68% of a 5.5 million target. Which means China’s largest manufacturer missed its goal, despite ranking sixth globally.
The practical significance of these gaps shows up in prices. A company that falls short of its target tends towards discounts, more standard equipment and pushing stock into export markets — which explains a large part of the generosity of Chinese offers in the Gulf through 2026.
A methodological note for the market researcher: do not compare achievement rates between companies without looking at the ambition of the target itself. Great Wall’s four-million goal was more than triple its actual sales, while Geely’s was realistic enough to be exceeded.
