One in 10 Cars Sold in Europe Is Now Made by a Chinese Brand

Chinese automakers built nearly one in 10 passenger cars sold in Europe last month, a record share that caps a year of rapid growth led by brisk sales of hybrid and battery-powered vehicles.

With December’s 9.5% share of the European car market, Chinese brands outsold South Korean rivals including Kia Corp. on a quarterly basis for the first time, based on figures from researcher Dataforce. BYD Co. and its peers are poised to make further inroads as trade barriers fall and a Chinese export push accelerates.