Chinese automakers have steadily expanded their presence in Europe over several years, prompting caution among domestic competitors. In December 2025, models from Chinese brands captured a record market share across Europe. This surge occurred amidst broader market growth, with sales for both December and the full year 2025 significantly surpassing the previous year's figures.

Sales data from Dataforce, which covers 98% of total vehicle sales in the EU, UK, and EFTA markets, revealed 13,295,075 new vehicles sold in Europe in 2025. This marks a substantial increase from the 12,994,720 vehicles delivered in 2024.

MG ZS hybrid in Germany. *Photo: MG*

According to Auto News, December 2025 was crucial for the year's overall growth. Monthly sales rose from 1,070,043 to 1,151,209, driven by strong performance in key markets, including the UK.

However, December 2025 not only signaled general market expansion. For the first time, Chinese automakers collectively sold over 100,000 vehicles in a single month, with 109,864 units purchased by European buyers.

While December's overall sales increased by 126%, annual sales for these brands in 2025 totaled 810,982 vehicles, a 99% rise from 2024. This brought their European market share to 6,1% by the end of 2025. Although this figure may seem modest, the upward trend is significant.

SAIC was the top-selling Chinese automotive group, with its highly successful MG brand leading the way. The group sold 307,812 vehicles in Europe in 2025, up from 244,121 units the previous year. MG accounted for 307,282 of these sales, with Maxus contributing the remaining 530 vehicles.

BYD secured the second-highest sales, reaching a total of 186,612 vehicles in 2025, a substantial increase from 49,590 units in 2024. This growth was largely attributed to popular models such as the Seal U, Dolphin Surf, Sealion 9, and Seal. The Seal U alone sold 79,407 units, with 72,667 of those being plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), making it Europe's best-selling PHEV for the year.

Chery's 2025 sales also reached 120,207 units, a significant jump from just 17,038 vehicles in 2024. The Jaecoo brand made a particularly impressive debut, with sales soaring from 2,490 to 56,944 units. Omoda also experienced substantial growth, increasing from 14,540 to 52,950 units.

The Geely Group also reported positive results, selling 400,725 vehicles in Europe in 2025. Of these, 332,226 were Volvo models, which continue to represent the majority of the group's European sales.

Sales also increased for other Geely brands, including Lynk & Co, Polestar, and Zeekr. Polestar, in particular, saw significant growth, selling 47,579 vehicles compared to 30,546 in 2024, primarily driven by the launch of the Polestar 4, which contributed 26,316 units.

Leapmotor, backed by Stellantis, is another rising brand, climbing to 6th position among Chinese automakers in Europe with 33,567 vehicles sold. The company's small electric T03 model accounted for 60% of that figure, indicating continued demand for more affordable electric vehicle options in the region.

Chinese automakers are beginning to challenge more established brands in the rankings. MG finished the year in 16th place overall in Europe, surpassing names like Cupra, Nissan, and Fiat. BYD climbed to 22nd, outperforming Suzuki, Mini, and Mazda. Jaecoo, Omoda, and Polestar also entered the top 35.

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