BYD enters global top five as Hyundai group climbs to third

China's BYD ranked among the world's five largest automakers by quarterly sales for the first time, selling 1.32 million vehicles in the third quarter of 2026, The Korea Herald reported on Nov. 3. Hyundai Motor Group moved up to third place. The paper described it as the first reshuffle of the global rankings in seven years, as Chinese automakers expand overseas and established brands lose ground in China.koreaherald.com

Toyota Group stayed first with 2.74 million vehicles. Volkswagen Group was second with 1.89 million and Hyundai Motor Group third with 1.76 million. BYD pushed the Renault-Nissan Alliance out of the top five, according to the Herald.koreaherald.com

China weighs on incumbents

Volkswagen's own delivery figures show its China deliveries fell 38.5% to 405,800 vehicles in the July–September quarter, down from 660,300 a year earlier. The group's global deliveries dropped 14.3%, its steepest decline in more than four years, Reuters reported. Volkswagen pointed to a sharp contraction in China's overall market, especially for combustion-engine cars.volkswagen-group.com+1

Toyota is struggling in China too. Its sales there fell 19.7% in September, the eighth monthly decline in a row, as higher petrol prices hurt demand for gasoline and hybrid vehicles, Reuters reported. Nissan's China sales fell 61.6% in the quarter, and the Renault-Nissan Alliance's total sales were down 11.1%, the Herald said.reuters.com+1

Strikes hit Hyundai, Kia grows

Within the Korean group, Hyundai Motor sold 931,211 vehicles globally in the quarter, down 10.1%. The company said a prolonged strike in Korea caused heavy production losses. Kia sales rose 6.9% to 829,000 units. That left the group about 125,000 vehicles behind Volkswagen, according to the Herald. Hyundai also cut its 2026 wholesale target to 4 million units, Seoul Economic Daily reported.hyundai.com+2

Exports drive BYD

BYD made up for weaker demand at home by selling more abroad. Its third-quarter volume grew 18.7% from a year earlier. Exports rose 137% to 551,000 units, about 42% of its total, the Herald reported. The trend continued in October: BYD sold 490,168 vehicles, up 11%, and overseas shipments climbed 102.8% to 170,194, according to Yahoo Finance.finance.yahoo.com+1

Further down the list, General Motors ↗ 1.38% sold 1.03 million vehicles, up 5.2%. Strong pickup and large SUV sales made up for weaker U.S. electric vehicle sales, the Herald noted.koreaherald.com