Here’s a list of the top Chinese car brands you need to know about if you want to stay up-to-date on today’s automotive industry.
These companies are on their way to becoming some of the biggest names in the game. And as a result, they’re becoming some of the best values on the market.
Learn more about them below; maybe one will be your next new vehicle purchase!
1. Geely
The first on our list of Chinese car brands is Geely Group. It is a privately held automotive group based in China.
The Geely Group became famous for acquiring Swedish carmaker Volvo.
Today, Geely has become one of China’s largest automakers, with an annual production of more than 1 million vehicles.
The company’s headquarters are located in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province.
2. Chery
Few names in China can match Chery Automobile Co. Ltd’s success, with its products dominating car sales in China for much of the past decade.
It claims six of China’s top ten best-selling models; its flagship QQ model even outsells Toyota’s Corolla and Honda’s Civic models combined.
In addition, the company was founded in 1997 by Chery; Chinese car brands began life as a joint venture between a state-owned enterprise and a Japanese automaker (then-Yanmar).
Before fully consolidating control of its operations and becoming a standalone company by 2003.
3. Great Wall Motors
Founded in 1984, Great Wall Motors is one of the leading Chinese car brands. The company has production facilities in China, as well as in Brazil and Argentina.
In addition to producing vehicles for its own brands, Great Wall manufactures SUVs and cars for brands such as Toyota, Nissan, and BMW.
Over a quarter-million Great Wall vehicles are sold worldwide each year.
And again, since its establishment nearly 30 years ago, Great Wall has grown into a multinational corporation with more than 1 million employees.
That makes it more significant than all but three companies in Japan and two in Germany—the world’s largest economies.
Although it may not be familiar to American consumers, Great Wall is now one of China’s most influential companies.
Its international success proves that while China may have gotten off to a slow start when building an automotive industry, it’s catching up quickly.
4. BYD Auto
BYD Auto (short for Build Your Dreams) is one of the largest Chinese car brands.
Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Shenzhen, BYD has three central business units: Automotive Products, Electric Vehicles, and New Energy Vehicles.
More than 40% of BYD’s revenue comes from its EV business. And it’s expected that more than half of all vehicles sold by 2020 will be electric.
In addition to having one of China’s largest automobile manufacturing plants, BYD also operates solar panel plants, wind farms, and other power-generating facilities.
It was recently announced that BYD would build a new research facility in Silicon Valley focused on developing self-driving technology.
5. JAC Motors
Chinese car brand JAC Motors is an auto company headquartered in Chongqing, China, founded in 1997 and went public on NASDAQ in 2010.
Since then, it has expanded its lineup of cars beyond its original base of three models. (One being electric) by adding a full-size sedan that hit dealerships in 2013.
Today, JAC Motors’ headquarters is working with Chrysler LLC to build Jeep Cherokee models for sale in China.
The company also recently announced plans to sell vehicles in Europe.
6. Changan Automobile Group
Largest Chinese car brand manufacturer by volume. It produces vehicles under several different brands, including its name.
But it is perhaps best known for a line of mid-range sedans (the very popular Benni and XLV models).
It holds about 20% of the market share in China. Its parent company was founded in 1953 and has been listed on both Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges since 2004.
In addition, Changan’s vehicle sales hit 9.8 million units in 2012. It also controls a handful of joint ventures with well-known international companies like Fiat-Chrysler, Honda, Kia Motors, Mazda Motor Corporation, and Suzuki Motors.
7. Zhejiang
Since its founding in 1986, Zhejiang has also become one of the largest privately owned Chinese car brands.
The company owns two brands: Geely Automobile and Volvo Cars. It recently announced plans to purchase a majority stake in Malaysian automaker Proton.
Geely Automobile is responsible for vehicle development and manufacturing among its many operations.
In contrast, Volvo is accountable for the research and development of global products and the design and production management of all Volvo models worldwide.
Also, it Is one of China’s leading automakers. Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Company aims to become an international brand by 2020.
8. Hawtai Motor
Founded in 1997, Hawtai Motor Group Co., Ltd. is a private Chinese car brand located in Tianjin, China.
Under its parent company, Hawtai Motor Holdings Limited has five wholly-owned subsidiaries.
These include Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., Chang’an Motors Group Co., Ltd., Hawtai Motor (Nanjing) Co., Ltd., and Zhejiang FAW Toyota Motor Co., Ltd.
Additionally, the brand currently employs approximately 5,600 workers at its various facilities and distributes vehicles in domestic and international markets.
For 2016, Hawtai sold over 507 thousand cars worldwide while generating over $3 billion in revenue.
9. Lifan Industry (Group) Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1968, it is also known as a Chinese car brand. Lifan Industry (Group) Co., Ltd. It is a manufacturer of automobiles that has over 2,500 employees in China.
The company is headquartered in Yongkang, Zhejiang Province, and employs more than 1,800 engineers working on research and development (R&D).
In addition, More than 50 new product models are introduced each year by Lifan.
These models are passenger cars such as sedans, SUVs, minivans, and hatchbacks. Recreational vehicles include snowmobiles, jet skis, and off-road buggies.
10. Youngman Automotive Group Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1982, Youngman Automotive Group is one of China’s top automakers.
It owns several automotive brands, including Chery, one of the Chinese car brands and one of China’s largest producers of passenger cars.
Also, Chery has a strong presence in China with its subcompact and compact vehicle lineup. Its other brands include Qoros and LDV.
Production volume has grown steadily in recent years as it ramps up capacity at its factories.
11. GAC Group
China’s most considerable SUV producer, with a range of vehicles that include high-end sedans and mid-size SUVs.
GAC Group, a Chinese car brand, also makes cars for foreign brands in China, including Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln brand and General Motors Co.’s Cadillac brand.
In addition, the company, founded in 1992, has expanded its sales to markets outside of China, including Russia and Nigeria.
It recently teamed up with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., adding 50 dealerships for Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus luxury models across China by 2022.
12. BAIC
Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co., Ltd (BAIC Group) is the next on our list of Chinese car brands.
This is a Chinese state-owned automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Beijing, China.
Established in 1994 as a joint venture between Volvo and Chinese partners. BAIC has become one of the largest Chinese car brands.
In addition, they produce and sell cars under various brand names.
In 2009, BAIC sold more than 1.1 million vehicles in China, with revenue topping out at $21 billion, making it one of the top ten most prominent automakers in terms of sales volume.
Also, the name behind every successful company is its team, and BAIC is no exception. From design, engineering, and Production to sales & marketing.
Dedicated professionals lead all areas. Who works tirelessly for customer satisfaction through innovative products and services at competitive prices – always!
13. FAW Group
The FAW Group is a state-owned automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Changchun, Jilin Province, China.
They produce vehicles sold under a variety of brand names. Over 20 million cars have been made since 1964; by 2005, nearly 2 million were exported.
Furthermore, In 2008, FAW’s sales revenue reached 115 billion yuan ($16.5 billion).
In 2009, FAW’s sales revenue was about 160 billion yuan (22 billion USD), making it China’s largest producer of automobiles.
The company has 136 subsidiary companies employing 235,000 people around China.
Also, it is a principal military contractor in China and supplies small arms. Such as assault rifles to various governmental agencies throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America
14. Dongfeng Motor
Dongfeng has become a significant player in China’s auto market by partnering with Nissan.
With Chinese car brands such as Venucia and Fengshen, Dongfeng is set to take on other companies.
These global auto companies are already making strides in Asia. Furthermore, the Production of three-wheeled motorcycles has ceased.
This is because of difficulties dealing with regulations, but small passenger cars continue to be produced for consumers.
In 2010, Dongfeng had revenues of $2.9 billion. It ranked number two among domestic automakers in terms of production volume. It is only behind foreign joint ventures (FJVs).
In addition, the company increased its sales by 60% in 2015, when it expected to sell over 1 million vehicles per year.
Dongfeng offers many models, including sedans, hatchbacks, SUVs, and MPVs. The first model released, the Fengxing S30, is based on Toyota’s Corolla platform.
Conclusion
And that’s it for our list of top Chinese car brands. It is not very easy coming up with just these names, but now you have a good idea of which companies are making waves in China.
