Luxury Import Car Sales Plunge 39% in First Four Months of 2026

According to the latest motor insurance data released by China’s national financial regulators on May 27, sales of seven imported luxury car brands—Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Land Rover, and Volvo—have continuously declined between 2020 and April 2026. Combined sales of these brands exceeded 800,000 units in 2020, dropped to 730,000 units in 2024, halved further to 480,000 units in 2025, and totaled only 120,000 units in the first four months of 2026, representing a 39% year-on-year decline. Specifically, Audi experienced the steepest drop: its sales fell from 44,000 units in 2022 to 30,000 units in 2025, and plummeted by 64% year-on-year in the first four months of 2026. Volvo’s sales declined from 20,000 units in 2020 to 12,000 units in 2025, with a 54% year-on-year drop in the first four months of 2026. Porsche’s sales decreased from 90,000 units in 2022 to just over 40,000 units in 2025, followed by a 46% year-on-year decline in the first four months of 2026. BMW saw a 62% year-on-year sales drop in 2025 and a further 44% decline in the first four months of 2026; Mercedes-Benz also showed a continuous downward trend during the same period. Although Lexus remained the top-selling imported luxury brand in certain years, its overall sales have been shrinking—from 230,000 units in 2020 to over 180,000 units in 2025—and fell below 50,000 units in the first four months of 2026, down 34% year-on-year.