China retail April 2026: Leapmotor (+52.3%), Xiaomi (+28.5%) shine in sinking market (-20.8%)

The Xiaomi SU7 is up to 2nd place overall in April.

Note: March figures are also included in the data section of this article.

The selection of models included in this update sinks -20.8% year-on-year in April to 1,315,974 units, The year-to-date tally is off -18.6% to just 5,351,091 after four months. BSCB is the only non-Chinese medium to cover both wholesales (ex-factory shipments) and retail sales data for China so you can get the most complete picture of the largest new car market in the world. Retail sales tend to give a more authentic view of the market as they roughly correspond to registrations to end-customers and are more difficult to artificially boost with exports which can sometimes be the case for wholesales data.

BYD (-35.6%) is back in the brands YTD pole position by far but still skids year-on-year. It is followed by Geely (-18.5%) matching the market and sinking Toyota (-23.3%) and Volkswagen (-43%). Leapmotor (+52.3%) leaps four ranks on March to a record 5th place with just under 50,000 sales, dislodging Wuling (-29.4%). Xiaomi (+28.5%) for its part jumps 15 spots to #7 which is the carmaker’s first incursion in its home Top 10. Notice also Nevo (+142.5%), Fang Cheng Bao (+107.8%), Arcfox (+103.7%) and Zeekr (+85.9%) all lodging fantastic YoY gains.

Looking at the models ranking, the Geely Xingyuan (-0.7%) is stable in first place but remains #2 year-to-date below the Tesla Model Y (+13.4%). The Xiaomi SU7 (+2%) shoots up 48 ranks on March to land in 2nd place overall thanks to the refreshed model. The new BYD Sealion 06 advances to #4 vs. #10 last month while the new Li i6 confirms its instant blockbuster status at #5 after ranking #3 in March. BYD also places the Yuan UP (#6), Dolphin (#7) and Qin Plus (#10) inside the Top 10. The Qiyuan/Nevo Q05 is up to a record 8th place.

Previous post: China retail January-February 2026: Volkswagen and Xiaomi YU7 #1 year-to-date

One year ago: China retail April 2025: Market up 14.5%, BYD plateaus, Geely Xingyuan ascends to #1

Full March and April 2026 Top 113 All brands and Top 683 All models below.