Leading the Trend with Innovation and Intelligence — Chengdu Motor Show 2025 Concludes

2025-9-8

On September 7, 2025, the 28th Chengdu Motor Show (CDMS 2025) successfully concluded at the Western China International Expo City. With strong policy and service support from provincial and municipal authorities, this year’s show built upon 28 years of profound industry foundation. Embracing innovation and openness, it once again demonstrated its pivotal role as the “barometer” and “value engine” of the auto market in central and western China, steadily presenting the diverse landscape and resilient growth of China’s automotive industry during its transformative phase.

Over its ten-day run, CDMS 2025 brought together nearly 120 domestic and international exhibitors, displaying more than 1,600 vehicles across 12 exhibition halls and outdoor areas, with a total scale of 220,000 square meters. On the opening day alone, 70 new models made their debut, accompanied by 61 press conferences. The event attracted 3,480 media outlets and 10,030 journalists from home and abroad, delivering a powerful message to the industry.

The ten-day exhibition drew huge crowds. According to preliminary figures, total attendance reached 910,200 visits, generating33,745 orders with a transaction volume of RMB 5.753 billion, continuing the success of previous editions. The simultaneous rise in orders and attention not only underscores Chengdu’s robust market vitality and influence as China’s top city for auto consumption, but also injects new momentum into boosting regional consumption and advancing the high-quality development of China’s auto industry.

A Showcase of Diversity, Reflecting True Market Dynamics
CDMS 2025 was vibrant and dynamic, with Chinese and international brands competing on the same stage, highlighting the industry’s vitality and diversity. Chinese independent car brands stood alongside international and joint-venture counterparts, presenting unprecedented breadth and depth in booth scale, technological displays, and brand philosophy.

Chinese domestic brands made a collective leap forward, demonstrating strong growth momentum. BYD dominated Hall 9 with a “full-hall” presence, creating an immersive experience powered by in-house technologies and staging an outdoor emergency water-rescue scenario, inviting visitors to experience future mobility up close. Chery Group commanded Hall 5. Chang’an brought together five sub-brands in Hall 10, spanning ICE (Internal Combustion Engine), HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), and BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) solutions, reflecting the strategic depth and confidence of “New Chang’an.” Great Wall Motors, Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), Geely and others also expanded their presence, declaring that Chinese automakers are moving from “catching up” to “leading.”

HIMA debuted its five sub-brands lineup, with multiple new models drawing wide industry attention. ZEEKR, Voyah, XPeng, ONVO, IM, Roewe, and others launched new intelligent vehicles, underscoring their steady march from electrification toward intelligence.

This was not just an expansion of booth space, but a leap in technological authority and brand confidence. With Chinese passenger vehicle sales now accounting for more than 68% of the market and new energy penetration exceeding 45%, homegrown innovation is reshaping the competitive landscape, making “China Trend” an unignorable force in the global auto arena.

International and joint-venture brands also responded with a high-profile presence, incorporating localized demand into product and experience design. Balancing breakthroughs in the luxury segment with the needs of mainstream consumers, they showcased pragmatic strategies of diversified development.

Luxury marques led the charge: Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Volvo, Lincoln, and Cadillac all unveiled new models, building a comprehensive luxury product matrix. 

Import and joint-venture brands such as Hyundai, Ford, Buick, Dongfeng Nissan, SAIC Volkswagen, and FAW-Volkswagen focused on mainstream consumer demand, introducing both ICE and electric vehicles, with a dense lineup of flagship replacement models.

From product definition to configuration choices, international and joint-venture brands are accelerating localized innovation and market responsiveness. By adopting more flexible and user-oriented strategies, they continue to enhance brand influence, underscoring their strong commitment and sustained investment in China as a strategic market.

Diversity in Motion: Intelligence Meets Emotion
Intelligent driving and electric technologies are advancing at a rapid pace. These innovations not only drive broader access to technology but also reshape how consumers perceive “luxury,” “intelligence,” and “safety.”

Emotional engagement and personalization are becoming key paths for brand differentiation. ORA created a rose-themed exhibition area, showcasing its stance on individuality; Mercedes-Benz integrated elements of Sichuan culture such as pandas and bamboo weaving into its booth design, paying tribute to the optimistic, united, and enterprising spirit of the Chengdu-Chongqing region; Jaguar Land Rover set up a highly immersive, ultra-challenging interactive experience, staying committed to delivering exciting driving experiences; meanwhile, a series of crossover collaborations with original Chinese IP further broadened audience reach, attracting large numbers of young families and Gen Z visitors. NIO upgraded its entire lineup to include the 100kWh battery as standard, significantly lowering the entry barrier for consumers to purchase its vehicles; XPeng combined AI-powered intelligent driving with humanoid robotics, warmly engaging with visitors and creating a human-centered fusion of technology and warmth.

Breaking Boundaries: Elevating the Motor Show into a Citywide Festival
CDMS 2025 broke through the traditional exhibition boundaries, deeply integrating urban tourism, commerce, culture, and public welfare to create “MOVE! Chengdu”—a true citywide festival. With a CDMS 2025 ticket, visitors could enjoy discounts at nearly 1,000 merchants across the city. Tourism landmarks such as Mount Qingcheng–Dujiangyan and Wuhou Shrine also joined the initiative, ensuring that the exhibition not only drew crowds but also benefited the entire city. CDMS 2025 partnered with over 100 brands in catering, accommodation, and family entertainment, distributing vouchers and coupons online and offline to maximize its multiplier effect, turning “visiting the motor show” into “enjoying urban life.”
 
Coinciding with the Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine’s Day), CDMS 2025 launched special check-in campaign, offering sweet rewards to newlyweds and visitors for ten consecutive days. At the same time, the first pet welfare campaign was introduced: visitors contributed love and support through on-site graffiti drawings, which received enthusiastic responses. By the close of the exhibition, 1,000 pounds of pet food had been donated, sending a heartfelt message of “caring for stray animals” throughout the city.

Inside the exhibition halls, one-stop test drive programs offered diverse crossover experiences. Outside, events such as the High-Octane Auto Culture Carnival, sporting competitions, factory study tours, and pet-friendly activities lit up the city. Families and young visitors engaged actively, reflecting Chengdu’s open, inclusive, and innovative spirit as a “park city.”

Policy Support: Revving Up the Consumption Engine
Targeted government initiatives injected strong momentum into consumer spending. Behind the solid market performance lay the effective synergy between government and business. Chengdu rolled out a series of car purchase subsidy programs, releasing benefits through three rounds of consumption incentives. During the ten-day show, order volumes surged, diverse consumer demand was fully unleashed, and the market saw a prosperous boom in both supply and demand.

On-site, the exhibition offered one-stop services from policy consultation and vehicle registration to financing and insurance, ensuring that consumers could “choose with confidence, buy with ease, and enjoy with peace of mind.”

The organizing committee also launched a lucky draw for golden license plates: every car buyer could participate on-site, with daily prizes including not only the golden plates but also cash rewards and exclusive gifts. High participation and lively interactions vividly showcased the thriving consumption energy of this year’s show.

For 28 years, the Chengdu Motor Show has kept pace with the city’s development. It has witnessed the transformation and innovation of China’s automotive industry while becoming part of Chengdu’s daily life and shared aspirations. CDMS has evolved into a window into mobility transformation, an opportunity to feel the industry’s pulse, and a vital public space for engaging with automotive culture. It is not only an industry trendsetter and a driver of consumer vitality, but also a vivid reflection of Chengdu’s spirit of openness, inclusiveness, style, and innovation.

Looking ahead, the Chengdu Motor Show will continue to uphold its mission of “connecting through exhibitions, resonating together,” contributing to the high-quality development of China’s automotive industry, injecting sustained momentum into Chengdu’s journey toward becoming an international consumption hub and adding fresh strength to the vision of a new era of mobility.

See you again in 2026!