BBA Flagships Slash Prices in 2026, with Audi Discounts Up to ¥160,000

Since 2026, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi have significantly loosened their pricing structures in the Chinese market, with price cuts expanding from electric vehicles and entry-level or niche models to core internal combustion engine models such as the A6L, Q5L, C-Class, and GLC. This latest round of price reductions was initiated by BMW, which adjusted the recommended retail prices for 31 of its models at the beginning of the year, with five models seeing discounts exceeding 20%. Mercedes-Benz followed suit in February, lowering the manufacturer-suggested retail prices for key models including the C-Class, GLB, GLC, and GLC Coupe by approximately 10%. Audi adopted an even more aggressive strategy, leveraging its dual joint-venture structure—FAW Audi and SAIC Audi—to implement comprehensive price adjustments. In early July, SAIC Audi slashed the time-limited promotional prices of the A7L and Q6 to as low as RMB 299,000, while the A5L Sportback dropped to RMB 259,900. Meanwhile, FAW Audi reduced the base price of the A6L to RMB 258,000. Frontline sales staff reported that terminal discounts on certain models have reached RMB 150,000–160,000. Sales figures show that BMW Group sold 160,556 vehicles in China during Q4 2025, a 15.9% year-over-year decline. In Q2 2026, BMW and MINI together delivered 117,817 units in China, down 30.2% year-over-year. Mercedes-Benz Group reported global sales of 511,900 vehicles in Q2 2026, a 6% decrease year-over-year, with China-market sales plunging 30% compared to the same period last year. Audi delivered approximately 1.62 million vehicles globally in 2025, down 2.9% year-over-year, while its China sales declined by 5% year-over-year.