Germany’s top luxury automakers are diverging sharply in their approaches to China. Porsche, with 2025 China sales down 26% to 41,900 units, is shrinking its dealer network from 150 to 80 outlets — a “quality over quantity” strategy. Mercedes-Benz, down 19% to 552,000 units, has abandoned its “all-electric by 2030” pledge, partnering with Momenta on smart features. BMW, meanwhile, unveiled the Neue Klasse-based i3 with 800V architecture and 900 km range, planning 20 new China models, while Audi is rolling out Huawei’s Qiankun intelligent driving system across eight 2026 launches.

Related reading: When dreams turn to nightmares: Porsche’s luxury crisis