BYD says its Yuan UP compact electric SUV was the best-selling passenger car model of the third quarter of 2026, across all segments. Lu Tian, general manager of BYD’s Dynasty Network sales division, made the claim on social media on October 22. He called it “young people’s first SUV” and said BYD aimed to balance price against what buyers need for city commuting and weekend trips.
The model sold 190,139 units worldwide, with more than 60,000 in each month. Nearly two-thirds were shipped abroad. Lu did not say how the total split between China and overseas.
Yuan UP sales by month
| July | August | September | Q3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale | 63,258 | 64,170 | 62,711 | 190,139 |
| Exports | 43,860 | 44,670 | 36,662 | 125,192 |
| China retail | 20,275 | 22,958 | 22,767 | about 66,000 |
Exports made up 65.8% of the quarter’s wholesale volume. The September share dropped to 58.5% from 69.6% in August. China retail was about 35% of the volume BYD counted. On the industry’s wholesale list the Yuan UP was first in July and August and third in September. In September China retail it was fourth.
Does the claim hold up?
BYD’s number is a wholesale count: cars shipped to dealers in China plus exports. On that basis it beats its two nearest rivals. Tesla shipped 178,481 Model Ys from China in the quarter, 11,658 fewer. Geely shipped 176,931 Galaxy Xingyuans, 13,208 fewer.
The BYD Song complicates things. Its monthly wholesale figures of 61,012, 63,637 and 69,266 add up to 193,915, which is 3,776 more than the Yuan UP. BYD sells several cars under the Song name, including the Song L, Song Pro and Song Ultra, so the Yuan UP only comes out on top if those are counted as separate models.
Either way, BYD dominated. Eight of the 23 models that topped 20,000 wholesale units in September were its own: the Song, Yuan UP, Seagull, Dolphin, Fangchengbao Tai 7, Seal 06, Sealion 06 and Yuan PLUS.
Exports carry the Yuan UP
Outside China the car is sold as the BYD Atto 2. It reached Europe in early 2025. September exports of 36,662 were about a fifth of BYD’s 175,877 new energy vehicle exports that month, while BYD retailed 246,816 NEVs in China.
The whole industry is shifting abroad. Exports, including knock-down kits, were 36% of Chinese passenger car makers’ sales in September, up from 19% a year earlier.
The Xingyuan and Model Y depend far more on the home market. Geely’s China retail rose to 44,275 in September from 39,651 in August, and its quarterly retail total of 116,232 was about 1.76 times the Yuan UP’s. Exports of 62,972 were roughly 36% of its wholesale volume. Sold overseas as the Geely EX2, the Xingyuan hit a milestone on October 20, when Geely said the 1,000,000th unit had left its Xiangtan plant. The car launched on October 9, 2024.
Tesla’s Model Y had the biggest September at home. China retail jumped to 50,359 from 29,260, while exports fell to 12,589 from 26,437. For the quarter it sold 104,777 in China and exported 73,704.
The September retail ranking ran Model Y, Xingyuan, then the Fangchengbao Tai 7 at 27,544. The Yuan UP’s 22,767 was about half the Xingyuan’s monthly total.
The 2027 Feichi edition
BYD launched the 2027 Yuan UP Feichi edition on September 17, so September includes only about two weeks of the new car. The original Yuan UP went on sale in China on March 26, 2024.
| Yuan UP Feichi | Geely Xingyuan | |
|---|---|---|
| List price (CNY) | 74,800 to 104,800 | 64,800 to 94,800 |
| With trade-in subsidies | 69,800 to 99,800 | n/a |
| Approx. USD | $11,132 to $15,596 | $9,644 to $14,108 |
| CLTC range | 301, 401, 501 km | 310, 410, 480 km |
Every Yuan UP version has a single 70 kW, 180 Nm motor. The 501 km version carries a 51.13 kWh Blade battery. The body is 4,310 mm long on a 2,620 mm wheelbase. Inside are a two-spoke steering wheel, a 12.8-inch central screen and an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster. BYD fits its God’s Eye C driver-assistance system, which handles highway navigation assistance and automated parking, and a 360-degree camera on every trim.
October is the Feichi edition’s first full month on sale. The next monthly data will show whether the longer-range version narrows the gap with the Xingyuan in China, or whether exports are still doing most of the work.
