What Chinese Cars Are Sold in America? 2026 List by Brand and Model

Quick answer (as of October 12, 2026): two Western-badged models built in China are still sold new in the US, the Buick Envision and the Lincoln Nautilus. Volvo, which is owned by China’s Geely, is also sold, mostly with cars built in Europe. Polestar is leaving the US from model year 2027, Lotus is down to one car, and pure Chinese brands such as BYD, NIO and XPeng sell no passenger cars here.

The question gets muddled because it can mean three different things: which brands are Chinese-owned, which models are built in China, and which Chinese brands sell cars in the US. This page separates the three, because the answer is different for each. Everything below is dated, since several of these facts changed during 2026.

Chinese-Built Cars Sold at US Dealerships Today

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Spec-based pick from the listing, not a hands-on test.

Start with models built in China but sold under non-Chinese badges. Two are on US lots right now. Neither is a Chinese brand, which is why most buyers do not realize where they come from.

Buick Envision: Built in China, Still on Sale

The Buick Envision is a compact crossover made in China through the SAIC-GM joint venture and imported to the US. It is still sold here: GM Authority reports China-built Envision sales of 21,176 through the third quarter of 2026. Pricing has moved sharply, though. Carscoops reported in January 2026 that the 2026 Envision starts at $41,000 before a $1,995 destination fee, about $4,500 higher than a year earlier, which it tied to tariffs.

GM has said the next-generation Buick compact SUV will be built at its Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City starting in 2028, and has not said how long the current China-built model stays on sale. For ownership, nothing changes: it carries the same General Motors warranty and dealer service as other Buicks.

Lincoln Nautilus: Built in China Since 2024

Ford began importing the Lincoln Nautilus from China in 2024, through its joint venture with Changan. Reports disagree on which plant (Chongqing and Hangzhou both appear), so we only say China here. Ford confirmed a 52.5% US tariff on the Nautilus, its main China-built import, and on August 12, 2026 CEO Jim Farley announced that Ford will move some Lincoln production from China to the US beginning in 2030. Ford did not say where. Ford sold about 34,000 Nautilus SUVs in the US last year, per the same report.

Ford also said, after talks with the Commerce Department, that the Nautilus no longer needs special authorization under the connected-vehicle rule described below. If you are comparing it with other Lincoln models, the Nautilus is the one to check for build origin.

Brands with Chinese Ownership You Can Buy Today

A brand can be Chinese-owned while its cars are built in Sweden or the US. Three brands fall here, and they are in very different positions in 2026.

Volvo Cars

Volvo has been owned by Geely Holding since 2010. On May 26, 2026, Volvo said it received specific authorization from the US Commerce Department to keep importing and selling connected vehicles, which TechCrunch noted is an authorization rather than an exemption from the rules.

Most Volvos sold in the US are built in Sweden and imported. The exception is the EX90, assembled at Volvo’s plant in South Carolina, which is also where Volvo plans to start building the XC60 in late 2026. That corrects a common claim, including one we previously made here: the XC60 and XC90 are not currently South Carolina cars. One more change: Volvo is ending US sales of the Belgian-built EX30 after the 2026 model year, and Volvo sold 5,409 of them in the US in 2025.

Polestar

Polestar is majority-owned by Geely and was set up with Volvo. In June 2026 it announced it will end new-vehicle sales in the US beginning with model year 2027 after the Commerce Department did not authorize it under the connected-vehicle rule. Polestar says it will keep selling existing Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 stock and keep serving current owners through its US service network, and it reportedly will not appeal. The Polestar 2 is built in China and Polestar stopped taking US orders for the 2026 model in April 2025, so it should no longer be treated as a current US option.

Lotus (Shared Ownership)

Geely bought a 51% stake in Lotus in 2017. Lotus’s US head said the China-built Eletre SUV would not be offered beyond the 2025 model year because tariffs made the business case unworkable, and the Eletre launched here only as a roughly $230,000 Eletre Carbon edition. As reported by Motor1, the Emira sports car is Lotus’s only car sold in the US today. We could not confirm Emeya status from a primary source, so we do not list it as available.

Why BYD and Other Chinese Brands Can’t Sell Cars in the US

Two separate federal rules explain it, and they work differently.

• The Section 301 tariff. The US Trade Representative raised the tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles to 100%, effective September 27, 2024. The tariff hits imports, so it does not apply to a car built outside China.
• The connected-vehicle rule. According to the Commerce Department (BIS) announcement, a final rule announced January 14, 2025 bars companies with a sufficient link to China or Russia from selling new connected vehicles in the US starting with model year 2027, even if they are built here. Hardware restrictions follow from model year 2030. This is why Polestar’s South Carolina assembly did not save it, while Volvo needed and received a specific authorization.

The rule is also why a tariff cut alone would not bring a Chinese brand to showrooms. For the full BYD version of this story, including its lawsuit and what BYD does sell here, see are BYD cars sold in the US. NIO and XPeng face the same two barriers. We are not aware of any announced US passenger-car launch from either, and we do not predict one.

Legislation is also in play. TimesLive reported in August 2026 that a Senate Commerce Committee measure approved in July would bar companies more than 15% owned by Chinese entities from selling vehicles in the US. That is a proposal, not law, but it would reach Chinese-owned brands that are sold today.

Complete List of Chinese Cars Sold in America

This table is the part to bookmark. Each row separates who owns the brand from where the car is built and whether you can buy it new, with the date it was checked.

Brand or model	Owner	Built where	Sold new in the US?	As of
Buick Envision	GM (SAIC-GM joint venture builds it)	China	Yes. Kansas City build planned from 2028	Oct 12, 2026
Lincoln Nautilus	Ford (Changan joint venture builds it)	China	Yes. Some Lincoln production moves to the US from 2030	Oct 12, 2026
Volvo (most models)	Geely Holding	Mostly Sweden; EX90 in South Carolina	Yes. Commerce authorization announced May 26, 2026	Oct 12, 2026
Volvo EX30	Geely Holding	Belgium (US-bound)	Ending after the 2026 model year	Oct 12, 2026
Polestar	Geely (majority)	China; Polestar 3 in South Carolina	Leaving from model year 2027; stock only	Oct 12, 2026
Lotus Eletre	Geely (51%)	China	No. Not offered beyond the 2025 model year	Oct 12, 2026
Lotus Emira	Geely (51%)	Not confirmed this session	Yes, per Motor1	Oct 12, 2026
BYD, NIO, XPeng	Chinese companies	China	No passenger cars	Oct 12, 2026

The pattern is that Chinese manufacturing has stayed in the US through Western badges, while Chinese ownership has been narrowing. SAIC, the owner of MG, is a name some shoppers search for; its MG cars are not sold new in the US, and the only SAIC link on US lots is the joint venture that builds the Envision for GM. If you are thinking of bringing one in yourself, read our guide to importing Chinese cars first.

How to Check the Current Status Yourself

These facts changed several times in 2026 and will keep changing, so use these checks before you buy:

• The window sticker lists the final assembly point, and NHTSA’s VIN decoder shows the manufacturer and plant for a specific car.
• For ownership and model-year availability, use the maker’s US website rather than a third-party list.
• For the rules, read the BIS announcement linked above and check for updates, since the rule applies by model year.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are there any Chinese car brands you can buy in the US right now?

No Chinese-branded passenger cars (BYD, NIO, XPeng and similar) are sold new in the US as of October 2026. Chinese-built models under Western badges, the Buick Envision and Lincoln Nautilus, are sold, and Chinese-owned Volvo is sold. Polestar is leaving from model year 2027 and Lotus sells only the Emira.

Is Volvo a Chinese car?

Volvo is a Swedish brand owned by Chinese company Geely Holding since 2010. Most Volvos sold in the US are built in Sweden and the EX90 is built in South Carolina. Ownership is Chinese, but those cars are not built in China.

Will BYD sell cars in the United States?

No announcement exists. BYD sells buses and energy products in the US but no passenger cars, and it faces the 100% Section 301 tariff and the connected-vehicle rule. We do not predict future entry.

Are Chinese cars safe?

Any new car sold in the US must meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, per NHTSA, wherever it is built. For a specific model, check its NHTSA safety ratings and recall history rather than its country of origin.

What about the quality of Chinese cars?

We have not tested these cars and cannot rate them. The Envision and Nautilus are sold with their US makers’ warranties. For any model, look at recall records and owner-reported problems for that specific model and year.

Are there any Chinese electric car brands entering the US soon?

None has announced a US passenger-car launch that we could confirm, and the tariff and connected-vehicle rule both stand in the way as of October 2026.

Is the Buick Envision really made in China?

Yes. GM imports the current Envision from China, and has said the next generation will be built in Kansas City starting in 2028.

Conclusion

Keep three questions apart: who owns the brand, where the car is built, and whether a Chinese brand sells it here. By that test the US market in October 2026 has two China-built models (Envision, Nautilus), one Chinese-owned brand in good standing (Volvo), one on its way out (Polestar), and no Chinese brand selling passenger cars. Check the dates in the table before you act on any of it.