China is the world’s top most producer of Motor Vehicles, Cars & SUVs, Chinese Car Brands includes Geely Car, Chery, Hongqi, Brilliance Auto, BYD Auto, SAIC Motor, Dongfeng Motor, FAW, BAIC Motor, GAC Group, JAC Motors, Changhe, Gonow, Foton Motor, Zotye Auto.
China has shown some really significant growth in automobile history. After 2008 Chinese car manufacturing brands are slowly acquiring the world automotive market. Previously, China was more focused on bicycle manufacturing. But now, they are more focused on manufacturing various luxury cars.
Here we are discussing 15 popular Car brands in China. The famous brands include Geely, Jianghuai, Chery, Roewe, Hafei, etc. Let’s now discuss some brief information about Chinese Car Brands.
List of Popular Chinese Car Brands that are active Now:
- Geely Car
- Chery
- Hongqi
- Brilliance Auto
- BYD Auto
- SAIC Motor
- Dongfeng Motor
- FAW
- BAIC Motor
- GAC Group
- JAC Motors
- Changhe
- Gonow
- Foton Motor
- Zotye Auto
Popular car brands in China:
This list contains the most popular China-based car brands.
Geely car
In 1986, Li Shufu founded Geely Car Company. It is a Chinese multinational automotive manufacturing company. Geely car company is headquartered in the city of Hangzhou, China. The company has joint ventures with Volvo Cars and Lotus Cars and has an agreement with Daimler AG. Geely is an affiliate of Li Shufu’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
Geely car company is widely known for designing and manufacturing affordable vehicles. These vehicles are popular among average citizens in the People’s Republic of China. Geely manufactures cars like MPV, sedans, and SUVs. The manufacturing of Geely cars started in 1997. The first car was a two-door sedan model called the Emgrand EC7. By 1999, the company had sold over 100,000 vehicles and surpassed the million sales mark by 2008. The other famous models of Geely company are Borui, Xingrui, Binyue e-pro, Emgrand EC7, Geely Boyue, etc.
The other branch of Geely Company is Farizon Auto, which manufactures affordable vehicles. The production units of Geely are located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Daqin, Chengdu in China. The company employs a workforce of approximately 20,000 employees throughout China. The company has a wide reach in terms of exports to over 30 different countries around the world. Now, I hope you have got some understanding about the Geely car brands, now let’s move to the next one in the list of car brands based in China – Chery.
Chery
Chery is a famous automobile manufacturer. It is headquartered in Wuhu, Anhui, China. It was founded in 1997 by the Government of China. It is a state-owned enterprise under the China National Heavy Duty Truck Group (NHT). It has two production bases. The first one is at Wuhu, which produces passenger cars for sale in mainland China. Another one is in Daqing that produces heavy-duty trucks for domestic and international usage. Chery’s main product is its own line of automobiles. It also makes commercial vehicles marketed worldwide under various brand names. It sells passenger cars in more than 100 countries around the world. As of December 2010, Chery’s annual production capacity is over 600,000 vehicles.
Chery has been ranked among the top 20 most valuable carmakers in the world. It was considered to be one of China’s “Big Three” automakers (along with BYD and SAIC Motor). Chery sold 1.77 million passenger cars in China in 2013. It has ranked 8th among domestic automakers, and its revenues reached $19.2 billion.
Chery was founded as an auto-making unit of a military base in Anhui province. Chery received support in its early days from the Chinese government. The government-owned 60% of the company’s stakes in 1999. The development stage for its first generation of production, A1, took nine years. Chery started production of the A1 in 1998. A1 was the first domestically manufactured passenger car to be produced by a Chinese automaker after decades of OEM manufacturing under foreign companies.
By 2006, Chery had built up an R&D center with more than 1,300 engineers. After some time, the first generation of Chery’s most successful line, A3, went on sale. The other famous models of Chery company are QQ, A1, Cowin, QQ3. Chery has also developed some small-sized cars like A5 and the Easter. Chery began its international expansion in 2001. It was done by exporting CKD kits of the first-generation Santana to Egypt. In Egypt, they are locally assembled by the Nasr car company. That’s all about Chery, the Chinese car brand. Now let’s move to the next one on the list – Hongqi.
Hongqi
Changchun is the home of, and the headquarters for, Hongqi, a Chinese automobile manufacturer. The company started its journey in 1958. The parent company of Hongqi is First Automobile Works or FAW.
Hongqi company is famous for producing luxury cars. Hongqi is the Chinese name for the red flag, reflecting the origin of the brand. It was initially only available to senior leaders and officials, but now it has also entered mass production. Inspired by Lincoln Continental Mark V, the car’s exterior design remained unchanged for almost 40 years until 1999, when HongQi E-QM5 (Type 55) was launched. After the launch of Hongqi E-QM5, its production was passed on to FAW Tianjin and Hefei motors. It is the only China State Automobile Corporation model sold in international markets under their own nameplates, except for LTI.
Hongqi is often considered to be China’s Rolls-Royce. According to a 2011 press release, the company is interested in developing self-driving vehicles that can potentially prevent traffic-related mistakes. There were a total of 2 generations of Hongqi: The first generation (Hongqi CA7250) was produced from 1958 to 1963, and the second generation (Hongqi Liuli 7150) from 1994 to 2005. The famous models of Hongqi are Hongqi E-QM5, Hongqi E-QM6, Hongqi CA7250, Hongqi Liuli 7150. There are models also like L5. The L5 limo is still an exclusive vehicle reserved for high-end clients, but the H series is now growing and gaining commercial success. Now let’s look at the next Chinese car brand Brilliance Auto.
Brilliance Auto
Brilliance Auto Car company is a Chinese multinational automotive manufacturer. It is headquartered in Shenyang, Liaoning. It was founded by Yang Rong and has been the largest exporter of cars from China since 2002. Brilliance exported over 1 million vehicles in 2016, with a majority going to African countries such as Nigeria, Angola, Senegal, and South Africa.
Brilliant Automobiles produces buses, minivans, luxury cars, and MPVs for the global market; it also provides after-sales service. The company sells its products under five brands: Brilliance (mainly sedans), Jinbei (sedans), Huanghai (MPVs), Sichuan Tengzhong (SUVs), and Maxus (luxury). The famous models of Brilliant Automobiles include Brilliance V5, Jinbei Haise, Sichuan Tengzhong H3, series 3, series 5 sedans, etc. The company has a joint venture with BMW, the Brilliance-BMW Automotive Ltd., which assembles and sells BMW cars in China. Brilliance Automobile Holdings Ltd. was the parent company. The Group structure has 3 major business units:
Bus Manufacturers: Brilliance Jinbei Bus, Jinan Jingcheng Bus, Jinchuan Group.
Automobile Manufacturers: Brilliance Automobile, Jinbei Automobile, Huanghai Automotive, Sichuan Tengzhong.
Car Dealerships: Brilliance-BMW Car Retail, BMW Brilliance, Haima Auto Sales & Service, Brilliance Volkswagen Car Service.
Brilliance Auto is famous for its low-cost but high-quality cars. They have a wide variety of models that cater to different markets around the world. Brilliance is also known for its good customer service. Their recent focus has been on Nigeria and other African countries. They have been producing buses in Nigeria since 2008. They have been importing cars from China for over a decade now. In addition to this, they also organize roadshows throughout the year, specifically targeting potential customers. This was a quick intro about the famous Chinese automotive manufacturing brand – Brilliance Auto.
BYD Auto
BYD is a Chinese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong. The company’s name stands for “Build Your Dreams.” In 2003, the company began production of automobiles under its own brand name. As of 2012, BYD Auto has sold over 500,000 cars/year, with sales totaling US $1 billion. The first three models launched were all-electric vehicles. They include the E6 passenger sedan (2003), F3DM compact SUV (2006), and D2 commercial vehicle (2009). Current models include hybrid versions of these original EV offerings plus pure gas-powered versions of the F3DM and D2. Other products are distributed globally through partnerships with dealers in China, Europe, Japan, Australia, the Middle East, and the United States.
BYD Auto sold a total of 506 thousand cars in 2011, which is more than one-third of world sales of new electric cars such as the Mitsubishi I MiEV and Nissan Leaf. BYD Auto has a wide product range that includes sedans, SUVs, MPVs, buses, trucks, and forklifts. The company sells its products in China, Europe, Japan, Australia, the Middle East, and the United States. As of 2010, BYD Auto has a product and technology sharing partnership with Daimler AG, which includes a 10% equity holding by Daimler. This is not expected to affect existing sales agreements. However, the two companies are working on new energy projects such as batteries and electric vehicles.
The famous models of BYD Auto are the E6, F3DM, D2, and S6. The BYD Qin is a plug-in hybrid released in late 2013 which has met with very strong demand in China.
BYD Auto plans to increase its sales by expanding its product range to include gasoline cars and SUVs. In addition, the company plans to increase sales in overseas markets such as the United States, Japan, and Europe. The company also plans to increase its market share in China by expanding its sales network and improving customer service.
BYD Auto has a number of technological partnerships with other firms. These partnerships include collaborations with Daimler AG, Volkswagen, Nissan, Renault, and PSA Peugeot Citroen. Let’s move on to the next one on the list of famous Chinese car companies – SAIC Motor.
SAIC Motor
SAIC Motors is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Shanghai. The company was established in 1955 as Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) by the Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. SAIC has since grown to become one of the world’s largest automakers by volume, selling over 5 million units annually, including commercial vehicles under various brands such as MG, Roewe, Maxus, and Baojun.
SAIC owns several automotive marques that sell passenger cars or commercial vehicles produced under them for global markets. These include BMW automobiles sold under license from BMW AG, Mercedes-Benz automobiles sold under license from Daimler AG, and some commercial vehicles sold under license from Isuzu Motors Limited.
SAIC Motors is famous for its MG cars. Thus far, 10 models of the MG series have been released and marketed by SAIC Motors. They are the MG 3, MG 6, MG 8, MG GS, MG GT, MG ZS, MG E-motion. The most popular models are the MG 3 and the MG 6. These two models have been sold in over 50 markets globally.
They have also produced cars under license from Innocenti (1957–1976) and Fiat (1974–1983). Moreover, SAIC has a wide variety of products available for each segment. Some examples are the MG340 (a popular car launched by Shanghai-MG Limited brand in 2006), MG3R (a mid-size saloon car released in 2009), MG 5 (a compact sedan launched in 2010).
SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile is a joint venture between SAIC, Wuling Motors, and General Motors. The main business model of this company is to produce modern, affordable, and economical cars.
It also designs, develops, and manufactures its own brand engines. SAIC has the capacity to independently research and develop new products, technologies, and manufacturing processes.
Dongfeng Motor
Dongfeng Motor is a state-owned automobile manufacturing company. It is headquartered in Wuhan, Hubei. Mao Zedong founded it in 1969 as the first car maker wholly owned by that country’s government and the Chinese people. The company has produced passenger cars under the “Dongfeng” brand since its inception.
The company also produces engines for many other automakers, including General Motors and Volkswagen Group subsidiaries Audi and Porsche. In 2009 it sold 3 million units making it rank second among China’s top domestic carmakers after Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co., Ltd.
Dongfeng has joint ventures with local partner Hino Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroen. Dongfeng was one of the first Chinese carmakers to enter into a joint venture with a foreign automaker. In 1978, Dongfeng established its first joint-venture with French automaker Renault. This gave it an advantage over local rivals such as Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. Ltd.
Dongfeng has a number of popular passenger cars in its lineup, including the Fengshen S30, the A6, and the C60. The company is planning to enter the electric car market with a new model called the E20.
Dongfeng is famous for producing buses, trucks, lorries. The company’s bus division is the largest in the world. Dongfeng has a joint venture with Volvo to produce buses in China. The company also has a joint venture with PSA Peugeot Citroen to produce trucks in China. Dongfeng also works with Nissan to produce lorries.
Dongfeng has manufacturing plants in Wuhan, Hubei, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, and Shandong.
Dongfeng is involved in motorsports too. Dongfeng has sponsored China’s A1GP World Cup of Motorsport Team. Dongfeng sponsored the entries of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2017-2018. Now, I hope you have learned something new about the famous Chinese car company – Dongfeng. Now let’s understand FAW.
FAW
Starting in 1953, FAW Group Corporation was established by the government of China. It has since grown to become one of the largest state-owned enterprises in China and is currently headquartered in Changchun.
The company provides products for consumers as well as businesses around the world. Employees at FAW Group have made significant contributions to developing policies that support economic reform within China. FAW sells vehicles under brands such as Jilin-FAW, Hongqi, Bestune, Senia, Haima, Junpei, Jiefang. FAW has made significant contributions to electric vehicles in order to increase China’s presence in the world market.
FAW company has joint ventures with Volkswagen, Toyota, Mazda, and General Motors. FAW Group is also a key player in the Chinese automotive industry with its many different brands. The company ranks first in terms of production volume for light-duty commercial vehicles and passenger cars in China. In addition to vehicles, FAW Group produces parts and components for the automotive industry. FAW’s export market has included Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Peru, and Venezuela.
FAW Group Corporation plans to continue to be at the forefront of this growth because it is one of China’s foremost state-owned companies with many dedicated employees.
FAW Group ranks first in terms of production volume for light-duty commercial vehicles and passenger cars in China. The famous models include Hongqi, Senia, Jilin-FAW, and Bestune. In terms of electric vehicles, FAW Group Corporation ranks third in the world. The company exports to Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, etc. In order to increase China’s presence in the global market for electric vehicles, FAW Group Corporation focuses on R&D and intelligent manufacturing.
FAW Group ranks first in terms of production volume for light-duty commercial vehicles and passenger cars in China. The famous models include Hongqi, Senia, Jilin-FAW, and Bestune.
BAIC Motor
BAIC Group is a multinational automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Beijing, China. It was founded by the Government of China and produces passenger cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, and electric buses. With more than 180 subsidiary companies in total, BAIC sells around 2.5 million units annually with revenues of over $6 billion.
BAIC Motors started its journey in 1958 as a car brand of Beijing Jeep, known as Beijing Automobile Industry Corporation. The subsidiaries of BAIC Motors are involved in the research, development, and production of a variety of automotive products. Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co is the parent company of BAIC Group, and it is also listed on the stock exchange.
The company has a wide range of passenger cars that cater to different segments and customer needs. For example, its Senova D50 is an entry-level car that targets young buyers. The Baojun 560 is an affordable car built to meet the needs of budget-conscious buyers. The company also has mid-sized models like Senova D60 and premium models like its electric sedan EX5.
BAIC has also ventured into the commercial vehicle segment and offers a range of light and heavy commercial vehicles. The company is also expanding its presence in the electric vehicle market, with products like the EX5 sedan and BJ2030 all-electric bus.
BAIC Group is one of the largest automotive manufacturers in China, and it continues to grow at a fast pace. The company is committed to innovation and aims to provide quality products and services to its customers. It is definitely worth keeping an eye on BAIC Group in the coming years.
GAC Group
The GAC group car company is a Chinese corporation that sells passenger cars under the Trumpchi brand, passenger cars, and commercial vehicles under the Gonow brand (now discontinued), SUVs under the marque of Changfeng Motor brand, buses under the GAC Bus brand, and under the Aion brand they produce electric cars. The company produced 728,000 cars in 2012.
The company is headquartered in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. The GAC Group was founded in 1997 and is the parent company of the GAC group. The GAC Group has subsidiaries which include GAC new energy, GAC Foton, GAC sedan, Gonow, Trumpchi, Changfeng Motor Corporation. The GAC group produces SUVs, sedans, MPVs, and electric cars. The Trumpchi brand is their most popular passenger car. The company is the tenth largest automaker in volume as of 2012.
The company has a joint venture with Honda, Fiat Chrysler, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Mitsubishi, and Toyota. The company also has a joint venture with Everus Automobile to produce commercial vehicles. GAC is the only Chinese automaker with a joint venture to produce passenger cars with both Honda and Fiat Chrysler. The company announced in 2017 that it would start selling cars in the United States in 2019.
GAC Motors produces the most economical vehicles with good fuel efficiency. The famous models of Aion LX, Aion S, Aion Y, Leopard, Gonow G5, Emei, Way M1, Everus S1. The GAC Trumpchi GS4 was the company’s first SUV, and it has been a big success in the Chinese market. The company is also working on a new electric car, the Aion LX.
JAC Motors
JAC Motors is a Chinese company founded in 1964 by Dennis Bedford. The company produces and distributes automobiles, engines, transmissions, and parts for the automotive industry worldwide. The company’s headquarters are located in Hefei, Anhui Province of China. It employs over 8 thousand people globally, with around 4500 employees based in China. Its products include passenger cars, buses/coaches, commercial vehicles such as trucks and vans, sedans, minivans, SUVs, electric vehicles.
JAC Motors has produced a number of popular passenger cars over the years, such as the JAC Refine S3, JAC IEV6S, and JAC IEV7. The company is also known for its quality workmanship and cutting-edge technology when it comes to engines, transmissions, and other automotive parts. It has a well-earned reputation for being a reliable Chinese brand. JAC Motors has recently introduced its new line of models with cutting-edge technology, including the JAC iEV5S Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and the JAC iEV6E. The company is clearly trying to meet growing expectations in terms of quality, performance, and features.
JAC Motors has joint ventures with several other Chinese companies. It also has a joint venture with Volkswagen and Navistar. Moreover, the company makes products for other car manufacturers such as Chrysler and Honda.
Changhe
Changhe Automobile Co., Ltd. is a Chinese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province. Changhe company has a long history in the automotive industry. It was founded in the early 1970s and has been majorly owned by BAIC Group since 2010. The company produces a variety of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles for the Chinese market. Changhe also has a joint venture with Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan, which produces cars under the Suzuki brand. In the past six years, Changhe has undergone a track record of ownership changes, which has transformed it into a subsidiary of BAIC. The joint venture is called Changhe-Suzuki Automobile Co., Ltd. The two companies have a 50-50 ownership stake in the joint venture.
Changhe is famous for producing the Suzuki Alto and the Changhe A5. The Changhe A5 is a compact sedan that was first introduced in 2006. It has been one of the best-selling cars in China, with over 2.8 million units sold to date. The other famous models of Changhe company are Beidouxing, A5, Freedom, etc. The Changhe A5 is a compact sedan that was first introduced in 2006. It has been one of the best-selling cars in China, with over 2.8 million units sold to date.
Gonow
Gonow car company was founded in 2003 with investment from GAC Group. Its mission is to be a leading player in the global automotive market by 2020. They strive to provide world-class cars that meet international standards and exceed customer expectations at competitive prices.
In 2003, Gonow Auto Group and GAC Group formed a joint venture called Gonow Auto (GAC-Gonow). Their mission was to become a top player in the global automotive market by 2020. They were headquartered in Taizhou, China.
They produce a wide variety of passenger cars, SUVs, pickups, and commercial vehicles. Gonow vehicles are sold in over 100 countries worldwide, and they continue to expand their distribution networks globally. Their current goal is to provide world-class cars that meet international standards and exceed customer expectations at competitive prices. They have a wide variety of passenger cars, SUVs, pickups, and commercial vehicles.
The famous models of Gonow are GX6, Starry, Alter, Dual Luck, Troy, FAN, Finite, Jetstar, E Mei, Way CL, etc.
Foton Motor
Foton company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Changping, Beijing, China. It operates as a subsidiary of Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co., Ltd. The company specializes in the production of medium and heavy-duty trucks, buses, light commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles, and agricultural vehicles, etc. It has a number of joint ventures with other major automotive manufacturers, including ACI Motors, Daimler AG, Piaggio, and Cummins Inc. In recent years, Foton has been increasingly focusing on the development of new energy vehicles.
Foton produced some famous models, which include Foton Auman A80, Foton Alpha 7 Sport Utility Vehicle, Foton Lovol SUV Series, etc. Since its inception in 1996, it has produced and exported more than 200000 units of mini-trucks and light commercial vehicles to over 50 countries and regions.
Zotye Auto
Zotye Auto is a Chinese car manufacturer that produces many different models of cars. They are the first company to sell an electric SUV in China, and they are currently expanding their production capabilities to other countries like Brazil.
Zotye Auto is a subsidiary of the Zotye Holding Group, which was set up in 2005. The company has two operating centers in Zhejiang province, with one in Ningbo city and another in Yiwu. They are currently making an effort to expand their sales into other countries by partnering with established companies that have experience and knowledge. This will allow Zotye to expand its reach and, hopefully, increase its overall production numbers as well as the quality of their products as they supply them to other markets.
The famous models of Zotye company are Zotye T600, Zotye Cloud 100, and Zotye E20. The Zotye T600 is an all-electric SUV that is popular in the Chinese market. The Zotye Cloud 100 is a small city car that was designed for congested urban areas. And finally, the Zotye E20 is an electric hatchback that has a range of about 200 km. This electric car is very popular with delivery services because of its practicality and flexibility. There are also many other Zotye models that have been for sale or will be coming soon.
We have added a small description for each China-based car brand; this will help you understand the Chinese car market fully.
Our main aim is to educate car lovers about Chinese car brands. All these car brands have set up their main production bases in China. All these companies have joint ventures with foreign brands, for example, Volkswagen, Ford, Nissan, Hyundai, etc. I hope you like this article about Chinese car automotive manufacturing companies. We will come up with more car brands soon.