Stellantis Grows Sales in H1 2026 While Other Major Carmakers Decline
Combined sales of the world's 45 largest carmakers fell 1.9% in the first half of 2026. Stellantis and Geely posted growth, while BYD, Volkswagen, Toyota and Hyundai-Kia sold fewer vehicles.
Combined new-car sales of the world's largest automakers were 1.9% lower in the first half of 2026 than a year earlier. The figure comes from research by Car Industry Analysis covering the 45 biggest manufacturers, as cited by automotive news portals. The data shows which producers and markets are currently gaining or losing ground.
The main drag was the Chinese market, while demand in Europe and North America stagnated. India and Brazil showed positive momentum.
Stellantis growth
The standout among the major manufacturers was Stellantis, whose deliveries rose 11% to 2.958 million units. Growth was driven by demand for Ram and certain Jeep models in North America, as well as a competitive line-up in other markets. By sales volume, Stellantis ranked fourth worldwide, overtaking General Motors and Ford.
Other manufacturers
Toyota, the world's largest carmaker, sold 5.39 million vehicles in the half-year, 3% fewer than before. The Volkswagen Group sold 4.13 million, down 6% from a year earlier. Hyundai-Kia sold 3.60 million units, a 2% decline.
The situation was especially difficult for China's BYD: its sales fell 16% to 1.81 million vehicles, roughly 340,000 fewer than in the first half of 2025. Rapid expansion in overseas markets has so far been unable to offset the drop in demand in China.
Geely Group's sales, meanwhile, grew 1% to 1.88 million vehicles. That put it ahead of BYD and made it the largest carmaker in China.
