Don't Be Surprised! The Appeal of Gasoline Cars Is Rising Significantly

When sayings like "Who still buys gasoline cars in this day and age?" and "Once you've driven an electric car, you never want to touch a gasoline car again" become the catchphrases of many automotive industry leaders, and when electric car enthusiasts tirelessly promote the advent of a new era in social media comment sections, the rivalry between gasoline and electric cars is becoming increasingly intense in the current public discourse.

It seems that both consumers and the industry consider gasoline cars to represent the old era, while electric cars symbolize the new era. As a result, public opinion of gasoline cars has been steadily declining: high operating costs, poor NVH performance, limited scenario-based experiences, weak intelligent features, low playability, insufficient emotional value—they are seen as having no redeeming qualities.

However, a recent survey report from J.D. Power, a global leader in consumer insights and market research, shows that the product appeal index of fuel vehicles is on the rise, and user satisfaction with fuel vehicles has reached a new high in recent years.

It seems to deviate from the current industry and public opinion's perception. Are fuel vehicles really more popular?

01Does no one really care about gasoline cars anymore?

When seeing this conclusion, many people’s first reaction might be to question the objectivity of J.D. Power’s research. However, those familiar with the industry know that J.D. Power has more than 50 years of experience in automotive industry research. Its scientific research methods, large-scale sample data, and in-depth analytical capabilities have indeed earned it a high reputation within the automotive industry. Therefore, this report can, to a certain extent, reflect the true state of the industry.

According to reports, this survey measured the various aspects of the ownership and driving experience of new fuel vehicle owners within 2 to 6 months of purchase. It ultimately identified the vehicle elements that excite and delight new car buyers. The final results show that the overall attractiveness index of the Chinese fuel vehicle industry reached 751 points (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2025, an increase of 14 points compared to 2024, marking the largest rise in the past five years.

This result indeed contradicts the perception many people have of the current market, as well as industry opinions. However, by rationally analyzing this result and considering the current market conditions and environment, we can discover how the deviation actually arises.

First of all, public opinion tends to be somewhat misleading, naturally siding with the trend. New energy and intelligent vehicles are indeed the direction and trend, so more hotspots, discussions, and media coverage will naturally favor new energy vehicles, resulting in less attention to traditional fuel vehicles and creating the illusion that "fuel vehicles are no longer viable."

At the same time, a new wave of internet companies and emerging car manufacturers have different approaches compared to traditional automakers. They are particularly adept at leveraging new media channels to influence public opinion and consumer mindset. The emerging car sales rankings and weekly charts are the most typical examples of this. Traditional internal combustion engine vehicle companies have been slower to adapt in this regard, which has led to a somewhat biased public perception that “new energy and smart cars are popular, while traditional combustion vehicles are cold.”

Currently, fuel vehicles are mainly dominated by joint venture automakers. With the rise of domestic brands in the new energy sector, the level of admiration for joint ventures among domestic consumers has decreased. Although people still buy joint venture cars, there is less discussion and debate about them, resulting in certain misunderstandings caused by an information cocoon effect.

In terms of data, in the first half of this year, sales of fuel vehicles reached 5.426 million units, a slight year-on-year decrease of 1.8%, with a market share of 49.6%, which is roughly equal to that of new energy vehicles. This means that the market share of new energy vehicles is only 51%. In fact, since July 2024, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in China's automobile sales data has exceeded 50%. In other words, once the penetration rate of new energy vehicles reaches a certain level, it stops increasing, and the share of fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles basically maintains a one-to-one ratio.

If it accounts for half of the market, then fuel-powered vehicles can still be said to be a very mainstream presence, and this trend will continue for a long time in the Chinese market, amid the more diversified automotive consumption trends and concepts.

From the rankings of various sub-markets, fuel vehicles still dominate the mainstream position. Taking the sedan sales rankings from the past six months as an example, the Nissan Sylphy, Volkswagen Lavida, Volkswagen Sagitar, and Volkswagen Passat remain firmly in the top ten. Following the Passat are the Toyota Camry and Volkswagen Magotan. Moreover, excluding three economical pure electric cars priced between 30,000 to 80,000 yuan in the top ten, fuel vehicles still hold the core position in the A-segment and B-segment markets.

In the SUV market, the situation is similar. Over the past six months, only the Tesla Model Y has secured the first place among the top three SUVs, with the second and third positions taken by the Geely Xingyue L and Toyota RAV4, respectively. In the top ten SUVs, besides these two models, there are also the Toyota Wildlander, Volkswagen Tiguan L, Changan CS75, Chery Tiggo 8, and Honda CR-V. Following them are the Volkswagen Tayron, Geely Boyue L, and Toyota Corolla Cross. Traditional fuel vehicles still hold a significant position to meet consumers' travel needs.

According to data from J.D. Power, 35% of fuel-powered SUV users go off-road at least once a month (compared to 28% for new energy SUV users). Additionally, the annual mileage of fuel-powered SUV users is 13% higher than that of new energy SUV users. These users rely more on the core attributes of fuel-powered SUVs, such as long range, immediate usability, and strong load capacity, which current new energy SUV products find difficult to fully replace in these aspects. "Without fuel vehicles, the European automotive industry will collapse!" Recently, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius expressed this in a German newspaper, issuing a warning in a somewhat tragic tone to the EU policymakers pushing for a "ban on fuel" policy.

In fact, overseas automakers have long realized that fuel vehicles cannot be discontinued. Audi has abandoned its 2033 full electrification target, announcing that it will continue to develop internal combustion engines over the next decade and launch a new fuel vehicle platform, PPC; Mercedes-Benz has lowered its 2030 goal for electric vehicle sales from 100% to 50%, clearly stating that "high-tech electrified internal combustion engines will serve longer," and will continue to update its fuel vehicle lineup over the next ten years; Volkswagen Group announced in 2024 that it will invest 60 billion euros in the development of next-generation internal combustion engines, accounting for one-third of its total R&D budget, and has suspended the construction of its fourth battery factory to instead increase fuel vehicle production capacity...

So much data and so many facts prove that fuel vehicles still have great potential.

02The Overlooked Progress

Returning to the survey report by Jundi at the beginning of the article, the importance of gasoline cars remains unchanged. So how exactly is the charm index of gasoline cars being elevated?

The data shows that the improvement in consumer satisfaction is mainly attributed to advancements in factors such as fuel economy (+17 points), getting in/out of the car (+13 points), exterior design (+12 points), interior (+12 points), and setup and startup (+12 points). From a brand perspective, the appeal of independent brands (745 points) in the Chinese traditional energy vehicle market has significantly improved (+32 points), along with mainstream brands (+11 points), jointly driving the overall industry score upward.

Obviously, we can also identify and restore the key factors behind the enhanced appeal of gasoline vehicles by examining certain market phenomena. For example, the improvement in fuel economy mainly stems from the advancement of German car engine technology, the widespread adoption of Japanese hybrid vehicles, the optimization of powertrains by domestic brands, and the application of 48V technology in luxury cars, all of which have contributed to better overall fuel consumption control.

For example, with the comprehensive application of Volkswagen’s fifth-generation EA888 engine and numerous innovative technologies, not only has performance been significantly enhanced, but fuel consumption has also been optimized to an extreme degree. According to feedback from Teramont Pro owners, daily commuting fuel consumption is basically around 8–9L/100km, and can drop to as low as 7L on the highway. Compared to the third-generation model, fuel consumption has been reduced by about 1L, which is already very economical for a mid-to-large SUV. As for the Talagon’s 48V mild hybrid system, thanks to intelligent start-stop technology, its fuel consumption is about 20% lower than that of traditional gasoline vehicles.

For instance, Japanese brands like Toyota and Honda have fully embraced hybrid technology, allowing mid-size or large vehicles like the Camry and Sienna to achieve a fuel consumption of 4-5 liters per 100 kilometers. Meanwhile, more luxury cars, such as Mercedes-Benz, have generally adopted 48V mild hybrid systems. These systems enhance fuel efficiency by using electric motors at low speeds, enabling large sedans like the Mercedes E-Class to achieve a WLTC combined fuel consumption as low as 6-7 liters per 100 kilometers.

Lower fuel consumption means lower fuel costs for consumers. Additionally, with the maturity of fuel vehicle technology and the benefits of economies of scale, it results in more reliable and consistent products. As a result, there are relatively fewer issues with fuel vehicles on various complaint rankings, and naturally, consumer reputation improves.

For example, when it comes to the much-discussed topic of intelligence, today’s fuel vehicles have actually kept pace with the times in terms of smart features. Volkswagen’s Passat and other models have not only been lengthened and upgraded with larger central control screens and passenger entertainment displays, but also come equipped with advanced intelligent driving systems. This means the intelligent cockpit and smart driving experience of fuel vehicles are in no way inferior to those of current electric vehicles. Especially with Audi’s brand-new A5L, which is now equipped with Huawei’s intelligent driving technology, its smart driving capabilities are reaching the top tier.

The fourth generation of Changan's CS75PLUS has not only upgraded its exterior design but also made significant enhancements in the technological feel and luxurious atmosphere of its interior, including the addition of zero-gravity seats and the use of AI large models. Geely's China Star series, Xingrui and Xingyue L, have also been continuously updated. In addition to featuring the Flymeauto car system and upgrading to more powerful power configurations, the Xingyue L now comes standard with a CCD variable damping suspension system across all models. The configurations, features, and perceived value provided to consumers are constantly improving. The latest announcement shows that Geely's latest Qianli Haohan H3 driving assistance system is being applied to fuel vehicles for the first time, fundamentally addressing the lack of intelligence in Geely's fuel vehicles and elevating the overall intelligent optimization and upgrade of the fuel vehicle market.

Just as the fourth-generation Geely Boyue L climbed to third place in the SUV market in July after its launch, this achievement is also due to the comprehensive upgrade of its intelligent cockpit, the refined interior, and enhancements in comfort features—improvements in product strengths that users can directly perceive—which have laid a solid foundation for the strong sales performance of such fuel-powered vehicles.

Of course, the most crucial factor is the price. Due to fierce market competition, the prices of many gasoline vehicles have further declined. It used to be said that gasoline and electric vehicles were priced similarly, but now there are many models where gasoline cars are cheaper than electric ones. This trend has become even more pronounced since BYD announced prices of 998,000 and 798,000 yuan. For example, A-class gasoline cars like the Changan Eado and Geely Emgrand have directly lowered their starting prices to just over 50,000 yuan, while their configurations and performance match those of models originally priced around 100,000 yuan.

The prices of traditional fuel vehicles from joint venture brands such as Lavida, Sylphy, and Civic have also been halved, with starting prices at the terminal around 80,000 yuan. Models like Accord, Camry, Passat PRO, and Teana have starting prices now at just over 120,000 yuan. This means that today, with a car budget of 100,000 yuan, you can easily buy models that used to cost 150,000 yuan. It's equivalent to enjoying the experience of a joint venture B-class sedan with the money that used to only buy a joint venture A-class sedan.

The product strength of fuel vehicles has been improving rapidly, and with terminal market prices continuously dropping and various subsidies for trade-in and upgrade purchases, the cost performance of fuel vehicles has actually become even higher in the past year or two. Under such a pricing system and competition, fuel vehicles are not only worry-free, but also have low insurance and maintenance costs, and there is no range anxiety for daily commuting. Naturally, consumer satisfaction will be significantly improved.

With the support of intelligence and significant price cuts, traditional fuel cars are truly appealing!

To be fair, new energy vehicles are indeed great—just looking at the cost of ownership, they are definitely economical. However, they are not truly suitable for everyone or every scenario. Take some camping scenes, for example; the effects shown in advertisements are actually just marketing. Many consumers never have these kinds of needs during their car’s entire lifetime. For many office workers and employees, they simply don’t have the time to do these seemingly wonderful things. All they want is a reliable, durable vehicle that can shield them from the elements and provide peace of mind for daily commuting.

After rapid iterations, it is understandable that electric vehicles have lost their allure and cooled down due to issues such as new models undermining existing owners, low resale value, high insurance costs, and in some areas, inconvenient charging and charging costs comparable to those of gasoline vehicles.