Chinese brands shine at Paris auto show

At the 2026 Paris International Motor Show, the number of Chinese brands exceeded the combined total of French and German brands for the first time.

A total of 25 Chinese auto brands from 16 Chinese auto companies participated, including Geely, Leapmotor, BYD, XPeng and so on.

In the previous edition, there were just 9 Chinese brands.

China's Geely Auto Group made its first group-level appearance at this show, bringing its three brands — Geely Auto, Lynk & Co, and Zeekr — together at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.

The debut showcased the group's multi-brand strategy across mainstream, premium, and luxury segments, with the Geely Monjaro EM-i and Lynk & Co 07GT making their European debuts.

Zeekr presented the Zeekr 9X, its flagship luxury SUV for the European market, which is now available for order with deliveries scheduled to begin in January 2027.

The Geely brand now operates in 27 European countries with over 450 sales and service locations.

The group's European expansion is also reflected in its sales figures. In September 2026, Geely, Lynk & Co and Zeekr recorded combined monthly sales of more than 10,000 vehicles in the European Union for the first time.

This is a reflection of the booming development of China's auto industry.

China's car sector saw remarkable growth, with new energy vehicles accounting for nearly half of all new vehicle sales in the country during the first half of 2026.

According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China produced 7.438 million NEVs and sold 7.446 million in the first six months of the year, representing year-on-year increases of 6.7 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively, highlighting robust manufacturing capacity and strong market demand.