SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle Company (SMPV), the passenger vehicle division of SAIC Motor Group, has surpassed one million vehicle sales in 2026, reaching the milestone in early November and setting a new annual sales record. The achievement comes amid increasingly competitive market conditions in China, where automakers are facing pressure on market share and a gradual reduction in policy incentives for new energy vehicles (NEVs). SMPV attributes its growth to organisational restructuring, closer coordination across its operations and an expanded focus on electrification.

According to the company, these changes have helped improve its sales performance, market position and overall vehicle mix, making it the fastest-growing manufacturer among automakers in the million-unit sales category this year. SMPV’s January to October 2026 sales increased by 43.8% year-on-year. The company also recorded monthly sales of more than 100,000 vehicles for seven consecutive months, beginning in April.

Electrified models have played an increasingly significant role in this performance. NEV sales rose by 157.6% year-on-year during the first ten months of 2026, while electrified vehicles accounted for 61.7% of the company’s total sales in October, compared with 36.4% in January. The company said its organisational changes began in early 2025, when resources were realigned around key products and a more unified business strategy. This was followed by the integration of product development, marketing and customer engagement towards the end of the year.

The approach brings research and development, manufacturing, sales and customer feedback into a more closely coordinated process. The objective is to shorten the time required to translate customer requirements into product features while improving coordination between engineering and market-facing teams. Rather than relying primarily on individual models or pricing strategies, SMPV is looking to strengthen its overall operational capabilities as a foundation for longer-term growth.

The company’s performance has also been supported by its two passenger vehicle brands, Roewe and MG, which share technology development and supply chain resources within the wider SAIC Motor Group. Through collaboration with component suppliers and technology partners, including HASCO, Yanfeng, QingTao and Momenta, SMPV aims to introduce technologies such as integrated thermal management systems, semi-solid-state batteries, AI-native vehicle architectures and intelligent cockpits across a wider range of models.

The company has also adopted a product development process that incorporates customer feedback from the early planning stages. Marketing and product development teams conduct joint evaluations to assess the market positioning and key selling points of upcoming models, followed by further refinements based on feedback received after their introduction.

Roewe, which is marking its 20th anniversary, is placing greater emphasis on artificial intelligence and connected vehicle technologies as part of its updated brand direction. In collaboration with ByteDance’s Volcengine, the brand introduced the Roewe Jiayue AI-native vehicle and unveiled its CPP AI-native technology architecture.

The first model based on this architecture, the Roewe Jiayue 07, was officially launched on October 23. It received 51,827 preliminary reservations during its pre-sale period, while confirmed orders exceeded 10,000 within one minute and 53 seconds of its launch. Nationwide deliveries began on November 1, with the company reporting 5,000 units delivered during the first week. The model is positioned in China’s extended-range electric vehicle segment.

MG has also contributed to SMPV’s sales performance, particularly through its electrified vehicle range. The MG 07, an intelligent sports sedan introduced on August 21, is aimed at younger buyers in the RMB 100,000 to RMB 200,000 price segment.

The model recorded more than 10,000 confirmed orders within one minute and 57 seconds of its launch. Its accumulated locked-in orders subsequently exceeded 42,000 within 20 days. According to SMPV, mid- and high-specification variants accounted for 94.5% of cumulative sales. The MG 07 also recorded more than 10,000 sales for two consecutive months, with 14,577 deliveries in its first month and another 12,393 units in October. Meanwhile, the MG4 continues to contribute to the brand’s performance in both domestic and international markets.

Its cumulative global sales have exceeded 525,000 units, while monthly sales in China have remained above 10,000 vehicles for 13 consecutive months. In October alone, the model recorded 15,503 sales in China, placing it among the country’s best-selling compact cars across all powertrain categories. Internationally, the MG4 has received five-star safety ratings from Euro NCAP and ANCAP. It has also recorded competitive sales performance in Europe’s compact battery-electric vehicle segment, supporting MG’s presence in overseas markets.

With the one-million-unit milestone achieved, SMPV intends to continue expanding its electrified vehicle portfolio while strengthening its product development and customer engagement processes. The company’s latest performance highlights the growing contribution of NEVs to its overall sales, with Roewe and MG serving different customer segments through their respective product strategies.

However, sustaining this momentum will depend on how effectively SMPV can maintain demand, introduce competitive new models and respond to changing market conditions. For now, surpassing one million vehicle sales represents a significant milestone for SAIC Motor’s passenger vehicle operations, providing a foundation for the company to pursue its next phase of growth.