Cui Dongshu: The most prominent feature of the September auto market is "a peak season that is not peak"; the traditional "Golden September" is severely lacking in luster.

Cailian Press APP learned that Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association, wrote that in September 2026, national passenger vehicle retail sales were 1.618 million units, down 28.0% year-on-year and up 5.0% month-on-month; from January to September, cumulative passenger vehicle retail sales were 13.334 million units, down 21.7% year-on-year. The most prominent feature of the September auto market was that the "peak season was not prosperous," and the traditional "Golden September" was severely lacking in strength. In previous years, "Golden September" saw broad gains across the market, with first-time purchases and trade-ins both being released together. This year, however, it was a seesaw under stock competition, and demand for fuel vehicles continued to shrink sharply.