Geely Wants To Become Australia’s No.1 Chinese Brand In Under Four Years
Geely’s Australian boss says the brand wants to beat BYD, GWM, MG and Chery locally, with sales already up more than 500 per cent year-on-year.
Geely wants to become Australia’s number-one Chinese car brand in less than four years, as it prepares a broader model rollout to take on BYD, GWM, MG and Chery.
Speaking with CarSauce at the Beijing Motor Show, Alex Gu, CEO of Geely Auto Australia and Vice President of Geely Auto International Corporation, said his ambition is to take Geely to the top of Australia’s increasingly competitive Chinese-brand sales race.
Gu said he previously helped grow Geely in the Middle East from fewer than 3000 annual sales to around 50,000 units, making it the leading Chinese brand in some markets.
“So, same as Geely brand in Australia. This is my ambition. This is my target,” Gu told CarSauce. “Together with our team, with our partner, to create the Geely brand, first phase to be the number one Chinese brand.”
Asked whether that meant overtaking brands such as BYD and MG, Gu said: “If today we pursue the number one Chinese brand, of course we should be on it.”
The target is ambitious.
In March 2026, BYD remained the clear leader among Chinese brands in Australia with 7217 sales and a 6.9 per cent market share. GWM followed with 5680 sales, ahead of MG with 4218 and Chery with 4018.
Geely sold 1208 vehicles in March, giving it a 1.1 per cent share of the total market.
However, the brand is growing quickly. Its March result was up 542.6 per cent compared with March 2025, when it recorded 188 sales. Year-to-date, Geely has delivered 2821 vehicles, compared with 188 at the same point last year.
That growth came despite the broader Australian new-car market falling 3.3 per cent in March to 105,058 units, while year-to-date sales are down 2.6 per cent.
Geely’s current volume is split almost evenly between its two local models. The EX5 electric SUV recorded 606 sales in March, while the Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid added 602 sales.
The next step will be expanding the range.
Geely has already confirmed the EX2 electric hatchback for Australia in the second half of 2026. Known as the Xingyuan in China, the compact EV was China’s best-selling vehicle in 2025 and shifted more than 400,000 units in its home market in 12 months.
While local pricing is still to be confirmed, the EX2 is expected to target the sub-$35,000 EV market, putting it up against models such as the BYD Dolphin and MG4, while also giving Geely a potential entry-level volume model.
Gu also confirmed Geely is preparing a broader product rollout for Australia, including a large five-seat SUV, a seven-seat SUV, a box-style SUV, a sedan and a ute developed with Australian requirements in mind.
“The ute is unique. I will speed up. But before that, I either will rely on the current models to create a foundational volume,” Gu said.
Dealer and service coverage will also be central to the plan.
Gu said Geely expects to exceed at least 80 network points in Australia by the end of the first half of the year, arguing a mainstream brand needs broad sales and service coverage to compete properly.
He also said Geely wants to build aftersales capacity ahead of its sales volume, rather than chasing demand after customers are already on the road.
“Today, for example, the sales, annual sales act as 10,000. I must build the service ability to be 20,000 or even 30,000 ahead of the sales,” Gu said.
Geely still has a significant gap to close.
BYD has delivered 17,541 vehicles year-to-date in 2026, followed by GWM on 14,878, Chery on 11,736 and MG on 10,595. Geely’s 2821 sales place it well behind those brands for now.
But Gu said he has already set a timeframe internally, and wants Australia to beat the pace of Geely’s Middle East growth.
“For the Middle East market, I spent four years to bring Geely to be the top,” he said. “So, for me, I’m aiming to create a new record in Australia. I don’t want to spend four and a half or five years.”
That means Geely is aiming to become Australia’s top Chinese car brand in under four years.
Reaching that point will require a much wider model range, a larger dealer network, stronger brand awareness and success in high-volume segments, including small EVs, family SUVs and utes.
But with sales growing from a low base, two models already contributing meaningful volume, and the EX2 on the way, Geely is positioning itself as more than another new Chinese entrant.
It wants to be the biggest.
FAQs
Geely’s Australian boss, Alex Gu, has set a clear target for the brand to become Australia’s number-one Chinese car brand in under four years. The goal is to overtake established Chinese competitors such as BYD, GWM, MG and Chery by rapidly growing sales, expanding its model range and building a strong dealer and service network. Gu has previously led Geely to the top of some Middle Eastern markets and wants to repeat – and even beat – that growth trajectory in Australia.
Geely is currently one of the fastest-growing Chinese car brands in Australia. In March, Geely sold 1208 vehicles, up 542.6 per cent on the 188 vehicles it sold in March the previous year. Year-to-date, Geely has delivered 2821 vehicles, compared with just 188 at the same point a year earlier. This rapid growth is occurring even as the broader Australian new-car market has declined by a few per cent, highlighting strong demand for Geely’s electric and plug-in hybrid models.
Geely’s current Australian line-up is centred on two models that split the brand’s volume almost evenly. The Geely EX5 is an electric SUV, which recorded 606 sales in March, appealing to buyers looking for an affordable EV SUV. Alongside it is the Geely Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid, which added 602 sales in the same month and targets drivers who want electric driving capability with the back-up of a petrol engine. Together, these two models form the foundation of Geely’s growth in the Australian new-car market.
Geely has confirmed a broader product rollout for Australia to compete more directly with BYD, GWM, MG and Chery. The headline addition is the Geely EX2 electric hatchback, due in the second half of 2026. Known as the Xingyuan in China, it was the country’s best-selling vehicle in 2025, with more than 400,000 units sold in 12 months. In Australia, the EX2 is expected to target the sub-$35,000 EV segment against rivals like the BYD Dolphin and MG4. Beyond that, Geely is preparing a large five-seat SUV, a seven-seat SUV, a box-style SUV, a sedan and a ute designed with Australian requirements in mind, all aimed at key high-volume segments such as family SUVs, small EVs and dual-cab utes.
The Geely EX2 electric hatchback is scheduled to arrive in Australia in the second half of 2026. While local pricing has not yet been confirmed, Geely expects the EX2 to compete in the sub-$35,000 electric car market. That would position it as an affordable EV alternative to popular models such as the BYD Dolphin and MG4, and potentially make it Geely’s entry-level volume model in Australia for buyers seeking a budget-friendly electric car.
To support its ambition of becoming Australia’s top Chinese car brand, Geely is rapidly expanding its dealer and service footprint. The company expects to exceed at least 80 network points across Australia by the end of the first half of the year, which it sees as essential for any mainstream brand competing in the Australian car market. Alex Gu has also stressed that Geely wants to build aftersales capacity ahead of demand, aiming to have service capability for 20,000 to 30,000 vehicles when annual sales are around 10,000. This focus on dealer coverage and servicing is designed to give Australian buyers greater confidence in Geely’s long-term presence and support.
