Chery Outpaces Geely in September Sales, Pivots to Luxeed Brand for Premium Push
Chinese automaker Chery Automobile reported a surge in September sales, momentarily overtaking rival Geely Auto in the race for the nation's second-largest car manufacturer by monthly volume.
Chery sold 280,469 vehicles in September, a 14.7% year-over-year increase, placing it approximately 7,000 units ahead of Geely for the month. However, for the first nine months of 2025, Chery's cumulative sales of 2.01 million vehicles still trail Geely's 2.17 million.
The company's growth was largely driven by strong performance in exports and new energy vehicles (NEVs). Exports in September reached 137,600 units, growing 26.2% and accounting for nearly half of Chery’s total monthly sales. Meanwhile, NEV sales hit 91,590 units, solidifying their role as a primary growth engine.
Within its brand portfolio, the main Chery brand remained the volume leader with 169,600 units sold. The company's newer brands provided significant momentum, with the iCAR brand exceeding 10,700 sales in September and the Luxeed brand, a collaboration with Huawei, selling 7,882 units and projected to surpass 10,000 monthly sales in the fourth quarter. The Jetour brand saw a slight sales dip to 56,600 units amid a model lineup transition.
In a significant strategic shift, Chery is repositioning its premium market focus. The Exeed brand has struggled in the domestic market, with September sales falling 31% year-on-year to 10,802 units. In response, Chery is reallocating resources, including future MPV development, from Exeed to the burgeoning Luxeed brand, positioning it as the group's new high-end contender.
This strategic pivot is supported by capital from Chery's recent Hong Kong initial public offering, which is expected to fund further research and development for its premium ambitions. The ongoing contest for China’s second-largest automaker now hinges on whether Chery can successfully expand its domestic market share or if Geely can accelerate its export growth first.