SAIC Motor Launches New Round of Executive Reshuffle Across Joint Ventures,自主品牌, and Parts Divisions

On July 28, 2025, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited announced a new round of senior executive reshuffles across its core business segments. Lu Xiao, formerly General Manager of SAIC-GM, succeeded Wang Jun as General Manager of SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle Company (SAIC PV). Xu Ping, previously General Manager of Huayu Automotive Systems Co., Ltd., took over as General Manager of SAIC-GM. Following his departure from the role, Wang Jun will continue serving as Deputy Chief Economist of SAIC Motor and Party Secretary of SAIC PV. According to multiple reports, Tao Hailong, current General Manager of SAIC Volkswagen, is set to step down and assume the position of General Manager at Huayu Automotive. His successor at SAIC Volkswagen is expected to be Wu Yun, an internal candidate promoted from within. SAIC Volkswagen stated that final appointments are subject to official announcements by the group. If all these changes are implemented, SAIC Motor will have completed another comprehensive management rotation within two years—covering its joint ventures (SAIC Volkswagen and SAIC-GM), its自主品牌 segment (SAIC PV), and its components division (Huayu Automotive). Unlike the large-scale leadership overhaul in 2024, which aimed primarily at “halting decline,” this round of adjustments comes amid a backdrop of overall sales recovery and a significant rise in the share of自主品牌 vehicles. In 2025, SAIC Motor sold 4.507 million vehicles, up 12.3% year-over-year;自主品牌 sales reached 2.928 million units, surging 21.6% and accounting for 65% of total sales. In the first half of 2025 alone, the group delivered 2.045 million vehicles, with自主品牌 representing an even higher 71.8% of the total. Lu Xiao assumed the role of General Manager at SAIC-GM in August 2024 and spearheaded several key reforms during his tenure: he halted the planned launch of the Cadillac XT5, introduced a “fixed-price” policy to stabilize terminal pricing, and reduced channel inventory to align production more closely with actual sales. He also led the development of the “Xiaoyao” architecture—a platform deeply shaped by Chinese teams—and launched Buick’s new energy sub-brand “Zhijing,” strengthening local R&D influence. In the first half of 2025, SAIC-GM sold 231,600 vehicles, narrowing its year-over-year decline to just 5.68%; NEV sales neared 50,000 units, up 81.1% year-over-year; and the company reported earnings of $248 million, marking its seventh consecutive profitable quarter in the Chinese market. His appointment to lead SAIC PV is widely seen as recognition of his reform achievements. SAIC PV sold 886,700 vehicles in 2025, up 25.42% year-over-year; in H1 2025, deliveries reached 549,000 units, soaring 49.35%—primarily driven by NEVs, including contributions from the “Shangjie” brand co-developed with Huawei. Lu Xiao now faces the dual challenge of sustaining high growth while clarifying the positioning of SAIC PV’s three sub-brands—Roewe, MG, and Shangjie—to avoid resource overlap and effectively translate the group’s technological strengths in batteries, hybrid systems, chassis, and intelligent technologies into tangible product advantages across all brands. Xu Ping, who succeeds Lu Xiao as General Manager of SAIC-GM, brings extensive experience from Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), SAIC-GM, and Huayu Automotive, with a career spanning vehicle R&D, strategic planning, and supply chain management. His immediate priorities include driving cost optimization, enhancing component synergy, and ensuring timely launches of new models as the “Xiaoyao” architecture enters mass production—all while maintaining the current reform trajectory and focusing on product execution. This latest round of executive moves underscores SAIC Motor’s strategy of cross-segment talent rotation to transfer proven operational methodologies across business units, shifting its focus from structural rebuilding toward high-quality growth and improved operational efficiency.