Mexico has no such thing as "standard road conditions." In cities, speed bumps are dense and high, highway lane markings often vanish, and parking lot gradients in mountainous areas are extreme. From Mexico City, at over 2,000 meters above sea level, to Monterrey, where temperatures exceed 40°C, road conditions and climates vary.
In 2025, Chinese engineers drove a prototype 17,000 kilometers across Mexico. After each leg, they logged issues: the suspension was too soft, making speed bumps uncomfortably jarring; lane‑keeping failed because the markings were too faint; the lack of a spare tire meant a blowout led to a six‑to‑seven‑hour wait for rescue. These answers became Geely's "Mexico Solution" in the end: fit a compact spare tire across the range, stiffen the suspension, repeatedly train the ADAS system to cope with faded lane markings, and add a retractable cargo cover in the boot to deter theft.
Even more requirements came from users. Mexicans love to roll down their windows and let music fill the streets. They asked, "Can the music go louder?" That request has been noted, and the next generation of models will get an upgraded audio system.
These changes taught the newcomer a first lesson: they must respect the local market and build a brand that people can trust.
In the first four months of 2026, Chinese‑made cars accounted for nearly 30% of Mexico's total vehicle sales—up from less than 1% five years ago. BYD, Geely, and MG have entered the top ten sellers, each moving over 4,000 units a month. In 2025, China exported 625,200 vehicles to Mexico, making Mexico the largest destination for Chinese car exports. Even when a 50% tariff was imposed in 2026, the momentum kept going.
With a population of 130 million, Mexico is the world's 15th‑largest economy. With 1.52 million vehicles sold annually, it ranks 12th globally. Bryan Wu Hongwei, General Manager of Geely Mexico, analyzes: political stability, yes; major economic swings, no; a sizable population, yes; technical barriers specifically targeting China, no; and deep‑seated prejudice among the public, definitely no. Also, Mexico is a springboard into the US and Latin American markets—it is the world's fifth‑largest car producer, with 80% of its output exported to the US.
But there is another side to the coin: Mexican consumers have watched brands come and go. Some Chinese brands sold cars without offering after‑sales support; after they left, owners could not even obtain the documents needed to re‑register their vehicles, and the cars' value fell to zero as a result.
Ricardo González Blancas, the third employee of Geely Mexico who previously worked at another Chinese automaker, knows well that the biggest concern is not technology but "whether you will still be here in the future."
That is why Geely decided to set up a subsidiary rather than use a general distributor—to truly enter and understand the country. The subsidiary was established in 2023, building its own network and brand. In 2024, Geely sponsored the Club América football team, putting the brand in front of millions of families.
"We want consumers to know that Geely is here to stay."
When Wu joined Geely in March 2025, the situation was tough: after more than a year of subsidiary operations, monthly sales were under 1,000 units, and 18 dealers were even exiting the network. In a market that sells 1.52 million vehicles a year, selling fewer than 1,000 a month means one does not deserve a seat at the table.
He began a "trust rally." From March to the end of December 2025, he held about 80 dealer meetings—some large, some one‑on‑one. Many dealer groups in Mexico have histories spanning over a century and are extremely demanding.
"They don't invest because of you personally; they invest because they see hope and returns."
At the time, monthly sales were below 1,000. Wu, however, said that by the end of the year, they would reach 3,000. In the end, monthly sales exceeded 3,500 by December and broke 4,000 in early 2026. He attributes the growth to two words: quality and technology.
After‑sales support has been crucial. Geely partnered with DHL to set up a spare‑parts warehouse of over 1,000 square meters, stocking more than 4,000 types of components totaling over 210,000 items, with a promise of 72‑hour delivery nationwide. Service prices are standardized and clearly posted in every store. Many dealers say that some parts have sat on the shelf for a year without being opened, because the cars "never broke down."
On the technology front, Chinese cars are widely recognized as leading. In any segment in Mexico, Geely's products are at least one generation ahead of mainstream local offerings in ADAS, connected infotainment, and human‑machine interaction.
Three years ago, Geely was a brand nobody had heard of. Today, it has 85 dealerships in Mexico, including one that used to belong to Honda. Parked outside are the trade‑ins: Volkswagen Jettas, Nissan Tiidas, Kia Souls—models that were once the most familiar faces on Mexican streets. Now, their owners are signing contracts for Geelys.
Geely has launched only eight models in Mexico, one of the smallest lineups among all automakers. Wu's strategy is not to spread thin but to create blockbusters.
The Emgrand starts at 260,000 pesos (approx. HK$118,000), offering generous space at a price lower than the segment's Toyota Yaris. González says Mexican families place great importance on family and need roomy cars, so the Emgrand is very well received.
He himself drives a Monjaro, a premium flagship SUV launched in July 2025. "Geely's product strategy is to offer one model in each segment and powertrain type, so that every consumer can find something that suits them."
But these products are not simply transplanted. Wu stresses "respecting the market": Mexico has highlands, deserts, and coasts, with all kinds of climates. Lab tests and domestic trials in China are far from enough; every product requires months of on‑road testing in Mexico by a large team of engineers, plus test drives by the media and dealers.
Adapting to usage habits is just as important. In China, the smart cockpit is a selling point, but in Mexico, without local data plans for the infotainment system, large screens become decorative. Local consumers are most accustomed to CarPlay and Android Auto, so Geely has added both to all subsequent models.
The symbol for new‑energy vehicles is a green leaf affixed to the right side of the license plate, and such vehicles are becoming increasingly common on the road. The Geely EX2, an entry‑level all‑electric compact car priced at 370,000 pesos (approx. HK$167,000), is one of the best‑selling pure EVs in Mexico. The EX5, at about 700,000 pesos (approx. HK$317,000), is roughly 100,000 pesos cheaper than its rivals. Geely plans to "walk on two legs," launching four new energy vehicles in 2026 and at least four more in 2027.
This localization of products ultimately shows up in the numbers. In 2025, Geely Mexico sold 22,000 vehicles, up 234% year‑on‑year, ranking third in sales among Chinese brands. In the first quarter of 2026, cumulative sales reached 10,782 units, a 283.8% increase, and in March, Geely rose to ninth place overall.
Traditional Japanese brands have begun to see their positions weaken, with market shares slipping month by month. González says the influx of Chinese cars forced Nissan to cut prices across its entire range by 90,000 pesos. The premium that Japanese brands once commanded has been significantly eroded by the value for money offered by Chinese cars, benefiting consumers across the board.
Yet the market remains complex. In dealer satisfaction surveys, the top spots are still held by established brands such as Toyota and Chevrolet. Nissan remains the absolute leader, with monthly sales consistently above 20,000 units. Chevrolet, Volkswagen, and Toyota each sell well over 10,000 a month. The several thousand units sold by Chinese automakers are still not in the same league.
People ask Wu: BYD is already the dominant player in Mexico's new‑energy market (selling nearly 80,000 vehicles in 2025, about 70% of the NEV segment)—what should Geely do? He replies, "I see this less as competition and more as how to make the pie bigger."
Mexico's NEV penetration rate in 2025 was around 9.5–10%, with over 85% of vehicles still powered by petrol. Geely's strategy is to walk on two legs—conventional fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles in parallel.
Geely has multiple sub‑brands in China, but in Mexico, they are channelled into one: fuel vehicles use the Geely brand (shield logo), and new‑energy vehicles use the Galaxy brand (six rounded rectangular bars). The stores are run by a single dealer but with two teams and two display lines, reflecting both separation and integration.
González helped develop a brand narrative that emphasises a Chinese origin while telling a global story—combining Swedish safety, German engineering, and British design. "BYD talks about technology, MG talks about British heritage, and Geely talks about global ownership—Volvo, Polestar, Lotus. We put the best of the world into one car."
In September 2025, Mexico announced that from 1 January 2026, it would raise tariffs on light vehicles imported from Asian countries without a free‑trade agreement with Mexico, increasing the tariff from 20% to 50%. The market became anxious, because the sudden tariff shift touched the consumer's nagging worry: "You might leave any day."
But Wu found that the trust built over the previous two years had become a moat. As of now, Geely has not raised prices. This is backed by three layers of preparation: first, a stockpile built up before the end of 2025; second, Geely is a globally distributed automaker and can produce vehicles in other countries that have zero‑tariff access to Mexico; third, deeper countermeasures are being rolled out.
He stresses that Mexico is one of Geely's most important overseas markets and has been included in the highest strategic considerations, with a long‑term commitment that will not change because of a short‑term tariff.
In the first four months of 2026, Geely sold 14,788 vehicles in Mexico, more than half of its total for all of the previous year, maintaining rapid growth. In February 2026, the media disclosed that Geely and BYD had both been shortlisted for the final bidding round for the Nissan‑Mercedes‑Benz COMPAS plant in Mexico (annual capacity 230,000 vehicles, with over 3,600 skilled workers). If Geely wins the bid, it will have a local manufacturing base and escape tariff constraints altogether.
Of course, the bid is far from a sure thing: the USMCA agreement is being renegotiated, and the US is pressuring Mexico to restrict Chinese automakers' access. The outcome may be known by mid‑2026, but merely participating in the bid sends a signal: Geely does not intend to leave.
Wu believes that policies will always change, but a brand's local reputation is the most essential asset. "If Chinese companies want to last in Mexico, they must leverage the mature local supply chain and grow together with it. If you just assemble your cars and leave, with no real connection to the country, you will struggle to win government support. What matters is how many jobs you create and whether you can help develop the local supply chain."
New opportunities are also emerging: starting in 2026, Canada will lift its 100% tariff on Chinese cars (with an annual quota of 49,000 vehicles). Wu has already led a team to conduct research there. At the same time, Geely Mexico is expanding to other Latin American countries; the Monjaro was launched simultaneously in Mexico and Panama, and he frequently travels to Caribbean nations to open dealerships and expand the network.
Wu points out a common flaw among companies going global.
"The strategy is right, but the way of communication is wrong."
Geely Mexico now has more than 100 employees, most of them local hires from Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Mercedes‑Benz, BMW, and others. Promises made earlier about company cars and salaries had not been kept, leading to broken trust. After Wu arrived, he resolved each issue one by one and also secured additional performance bonuses from headquarters, giving many people benefits "they had never experienced at other automakers."
Because of the time difference, he often stays in the office until 8‑10 p.m. to meet with the China‑based team. Employees have followed his example; during crunch times, they voluntarily work overtime. Some Chinese colleagues joke that they feel as if they came to the wrong place; this is not the Mexican workplace they had imagined.
González says that in the past, Mexicans believed European automakers were the best to work for, with good pay and no overtime, followed by American, then Japanese, and Korean. Now, more and more people feel that working for a Chinese automaker is also wonderful—besides the compensation, the experience of building a brand from scratch is unprecedented.
"There is still a fighting spirit," said Wu. "Whenever we see sales grow and people speak positively about us, everyone gets excited. The whole team loves this family and loves this brand."
In March, Geely's monthly sales exceeded 4,000 units. At the end of April, Wu took more than 200 Mexican dealers to the Beijing Auto Show, giving them a first‑hand look at the strength of Chinese carmaking. Geely aims to double its full‑year sales compared to last year's 22,000.
As Wu puts it, "Geely is still far from being the most successful brand in Mexico. But I believe the single most important thing is that we have built a trustworthy brand. That matters more than anything else."
(Source: Caijing)
Related News:
Deepline | Familiar land, unfamiliar race: Tesla's China story shows evolution of local automakers
Deepline | Geely built, Ford badged: New chapter in auto cooperation
Comment