「 For every 3 sold, 1 is exported overseas 」
Author | Zhen Yao
Editor | Li Guozheng
Produced by | BNN Studio (gbngzs)
209,100 units — On June 1, Changan Automobile announced its May delivery results.
This number, against the backdrop of a generally pressured auto market in May, is considered stable. However, if only looking at the total, one might miss Changan Automobile's true brilliance:
First, new energy vehicles totaled 92,400 units, a year-on-year increase of 5.8%. Second, all 5 of its sub-brands showed positive growth, none lagging behind. Third, and the biggest highlight, overseas sales reached 70,700 units, a year-on-year surge of 38%, accounting for 33.8% of total sales — almost 1 in every 3 cars sold is exported overseas.
This is not accidental. In all of 2025, Changan's overseas sales were 637,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 18.9%. In the grand picture of China's auto exports, Changan is not the largest by volume; SAIC and Chery are above it. But in terms of growth rate and structure, Changan deserves to be observed separately.
Behind the steady climb in sales lies the solid advancement of three major plans.
In May, Changan officially announced it became a Global Partner of the Portugal National Team, with Plan 'Harmony in Diversity' 2.0 making another move; Self-developed Tianshu Leading End-to-End technology will enter mass production vehicles in the second half, Plan 'Beidou Tianshu' 2.0 wins another victory; Blue Whale Super Engine dual vehicles began delivery in hundreds of cities and thousands of stores, Plan 'Shangri-La' reduces blue-plated fuel consumption by half.
Sub-brands are blooming, new technologies are landing faster, signing the Portugal national team — Changan Automobile is preparing a trump card for the June Chongqing Auto Show.
▍01
1 out of 3 sold goes overseas
Let's look at the sub-brands' performance first. This is the most direct way to judge a car company's health.
Changan Qiyuan delivered 34,528 units in May, the largest volume among all sub-brands. The big single product, new Q05, delivered 15,812 units in a single month, accounting for 45.8% of Changan Qiyuan's total sales.
More notably, Q05 launched in Thailand for 3 days, orders exceeded 3,000 units. Usually, a new car's first fight results in overseas markets often better reflect product strength than domestic performance.
Changan Yinli (CS Series), 5 月 delivered 48,900 units in May, CS75PLUS and Eado Blue Whale Super Engine dual vehicles launched, sale price starting from 79,900 yuan. This is Changan's base business, and also the most stable sector for profit contribution.
Avatr delivered 7,336 units in May. The absolute number isn't large, but the value is high. Avatr 07L has appeared in the MIIT announcement, will be the first batch equipped with Huawei Qiankun ADS 5. This car is viewed internally by Changan as a gateway to the European market, and also means Changan has another ace deeply bound with Huawei on the intelligent track.
Commercial Vehicle Sector: Changan Kaicheng delivered 21,100 units in May, new energy sales increased 21% year-on-year. Although the commercial vehicle track isn't as eye-catching as passenger cars, Kaicheng's growth shows Changan's layout in the B-end market has seen results.
The most eye-catching is Deepal, with May sales of 33,243 units, up 30% year-on-year. Overseas cumulative sales from January-May were 28,704 units, up 167% year-on-year. Deepal is Changan's fastest-growing sub-brand overseas, almost 1 out of every 2 sold goes overseas.
5 sub-brands, 5 growth curves, none shrinking. "Many car companies rely on only one or two hit products. Once a hit product weakens, the whole structure collapses. Changan is not. Its overall structure is more risk-resistant." A senior industry insider told BNN Studio.
More importantly, Changan's overseas structure is healthy, not propped up by one or two markets. It has volume in Southeast Asia, Middle East, South America, and the European market is also accelerating.
A healthy structure means the overseas market is no longer icing on the cake for Changan, but a second growth pole.
▍02
Signing the Portugal National Team to Get a Gateway Ticket
Returning to over ten days ago, on May 22, in Lisbon, Portugal, Changan Automobile signed a global strategic cooperation agreement with the Portuguese Football Association (FPF), becoming the global official partner of the Portugal National Team.
In Changan's official communication, a word keeps appearing — "Stay in the game", meaning "Always Present". This is both the concept of the Portuguese Football Association and Changan's globalization proposition.
If only understanding this matter as a one-time sports marketing, it's too shallow.
Since establishing its design center in Turin, Italy in 2001, Changan Automobile has deeply cultivated Europe for 25 years, but has always faced a challenge there: insufficient brand awareness.
"European consumers know Chinese cars are cheap with high configuration, but are unwilling to pay a premium for Chinese brands. The problem is not with the product, but with trust." A person who has long followed auto exports said.
How to build trust? Ads are not enough, exhibitions are not enough; football might be the most efficient path currently.
In Europe, the influence of the Portugal National Team needs no saying, Cristiano Ronaldo's afterglow remains, and new generation players are taking over. The key is Portugal is the connection point between Western Europe and Southern Europe, with a very wide language and cultural radiation range.
"Europe is Changan's key layout area for its globalization strategy, and also the core breakthrough market for Plan 'Harmony in Diversity' 2.0." A relevant person from Changan Automobile told BNN Studio. "The Portugal National Team is a top team in the global football world. Changan's signing this time is a key measure to use top sports IP to break through European local awareness barriers and accelerate market penetration."
The time window is also precise. With the 2026 World Cup in Mexico/Canada/USA imminent, "Stay in the game" and Changan's "Always Present" rhythm highly coincide.
Changan is the first Chinese car brand to reach an official cooperation with a top European football national team, capable of achieving a "One Signing, Global Resonance" brand effect, simultaneously radiating key markets such as Eurasia, Southeast Asia, and South America.
Currently, Changan Automobile is accelerating the promotion of a localization strategy "In Europe, For Europe", core is 4 principles: Long-termism, Localization, Systematization, and integrated ESG construction.
BNN Studio learned that the models Changan is prioritizing in Europe include Qiyuan Q05, Deepal S05, Deepal S07, and Avatr series. These cars are not simply moving domestic models over, but making localized adjustments for the European market.
▍03
No Overseas, No Changan; No Base, No Overseas
Unlike the short-term trade-style overseas expansion of most car companies, Changan persists in the long-term overseas path of localization cultivation and systematic implementation.
As of now, Changan has built 22 overseas manufacturing bases, with an annual capacity of 350,000 units, covering 118 countries and regions; possessing 1,124 overseas sales outlets, launching 41 models.
The Rayong Factory in Thailand is the most mature sample. This factory not only supplies the Southeast Asian market but also undertakes the function of radiating the right-hand drive market. In Kaicheng's May performance, a considerable part comes from the overseas commercial vehicle market.
"No Overseas Without Bases," Changan Automobile Chairman Zhu Huarong emphasized this sentence repeatedly on multiple occasions. In plain terms, it means — without building factories, without building systems, it does not count as truly entering a market.
This forms a sharp contrast with the path of some car companies prioritizing trade before manufacturing. Changan's heavy assets mean high investment, slow returns, but once connected, the barriers are extremely high.
Currently, Changan is simultaneously promoting localized operations in key global regions such as Eurasia, Southeast Asia, South America, Middle East, and Africa, with the goal of 1.5 million overseas sales in 2030. This means in the next 4 years, overseas sales need to more than double.
Looking at the timeline, Changan's globalization path is very clear:
In 2023, Plan "Harmony in Diversity" 1.0 was launched, core is going out, including building factories, laying channels, investing models.
At the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Plan "Harmony in Diversity" 2.0 was launched, core is digging in, upgrading from manufacturing to full business chain — manufacturing, trade, investment, service, ESG integrated.
Recent signing of the Portugal National Team is a key step in overseas branding, aiming to build brand awareness in overseas markets.
These three steps constitute a complete leap: from product overseas, to brand overseas, to industry overseas.
Currently, Changan is in a critical period transitioning from the second to the third stage. Signing the Portugal National Team is a landmark event of the second stage. In the third stage, Changan will establish a localized operation system in Europe similar to Toyota, Volkswagen.
Chinese cars going overseas in recent years, too many highlight moments, and also too many messy situations. Some car companies' overseas sales surged quickly, but profits were thin; some companies had a broad layout but failed to truly take root in a market.
Changan's characteristic is not pursuing short-term traffic-style surge, persisting in high-quality, systematic, sustainable globalization growth, carving out a new paradigm for Chinese car companies' steady deep cultivation and long-term victory overseas.
At the June Chongqing Auto Show to be held soon, Changan will focus on displaying globalization layout achievements, intelligent new energy technologies, and the full range of models.
Deeply cultivating global presence, always present.
In the wave of Chinese auto exports, the world will see a different Changan.
