Chinese cars have conquered the UK market. But is there a catch?

 A glance at the official sales figures for March reveals a surprise for anyone who thinks they know cars – a brand which many people have never heard of is sitting at the top of the chart, having overtaken the best-known names in motoring such as Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

That car is the Jaecoo 7, a petrol or hybrid-powered SUV which bears a passing resemblance to a Range Rover Velar but costs almost half the price, starting at just a little more than £30,000.

This Chinese company is gaining traction by offering unbeatable finance offers on good-looking cars sold through friendly dealers – often local businesses which have been discarded by larger, established European brands. Is there a catch? Should we be worried about the rise of the Chinese car, or welcome the arrival of more affordable options?

A deeper dive into the official sales statistics show that Jaecoo’s March performance wasn’t a flash in the pan – and that it is far from the only new brand making waves. As well as being the overall best-selling new car in March, a huge 41,952 Jaecoo 7s have found homes in the UK since they went on sale in February 2025. While the familiar Ford Puma is still the number-one seller for the year so far, the Jaecoo is snapping at its heels. The next closest European-made car is the Nissan Qashqai, built in Sunderland, in fourth place.

Jaecoo is part of the Chery group, which is aggressively targeting the UK with a growing range of modern-looking, well-equipped SUVs – all built and developed in China. They are also sold under the Chery UK and Omoda brands, which have collectively sold more than 22,000 cars in the UK so far this year – that’s more than Land Rover (21,479). Jaecoo alone beat Renault’s 18,884 total.

While Chery is topping the Chinese brands for now, there are plenty of others posting impressive results. BYD also achieved record UK sales in 2026, registering 21,337 cars. There are also models which are built in China but wear the badges of familiar brands. MG is the biggest Chinese-built marque in terms of numbers, but Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Mini, Smart, Cupra, Dacia and Tesla all import cars from China for sale in the UK.

The price is right

Together, Chery and BYD almost doubled sales in March 2026 compared with the same month last year (31,206 to 62,152), and it’s easy to see why. An Omoda 5 starts at £24,040, even before discounts, while the cheapest equivalent Nissan Qashqai is £30,020 and has less equipment.

The deals when buying on finance are even more attractive. A Deepal S07 EV from new brand Changan is £244.50 per month on a personal lease; using the same terms and deposit, an equivalent Volkswagen ID.4 is £323.74.

Denise Turner from Borehamwood, in Hertfordshire, is one of the thousands who bought a Jaecoo in March. She says: “I had a BMW X3, but it was nothing but trouble. I just happened to be chatting about getting a new car in the office one day and a colleague said her friend had just bought a car called a Jaecoo. I’d never heard of them but looked online and liked what I saw.

“There was a dealer nearby so I went to have a look. I absolutely loved it. Yes, it’s a poor man’s Range Rover, but I think I prefer the look to the actual Land Rover!”

It helped that the dealer offered £12,000 for her X3 as a trade-in, while BMW could only stump up £8,000. Denise says the Jaecoo staff were also exceptionally helpful, while the warranty was better than BMW’s. As a result, she has recommended the car to friends and colleagues who have since ordered their own.

Turner’s car is a hybrid and many of the sharpest deals are on electric and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, which are especially popular in China. Steffen Michulski, regional consultant for industry analyst Jato, says: “Chinese manufacturers strategically embraced electrification early on, using it as a lever to leapfrog legacy players. They fully committed to EV development, investing heavily in innovation and product diversification. This is paying dividends in the export markets.”

Europe’s strength

The makers don’t get everything right, however, and the European manufacturers still hold some cards, particularly in chassis engineering. The Telegraph’s motoring correspondent Andrew English says: “The Jaecoo is not a high point in driving dynamics – and these things matter. I think even a disinterested driver will notice if they go from a well-sorted model into something which isn’t so polished.

“Then there is the question of parts back-up and insurance costs for Chinese models. And I wonder what the figures will look like when these cheap finance deals are up. I’d want to take a good look into the mouth of this gift horse before parting with my cash.”

To address the question of suspect dynamics, some Chinese brands are investing in UK-based engineering hubs and consultants to tailor future models to Europe’s unique roads. English says that MG and Geely have already proven the worth of this approach, with models that are a match for established rivals in terms of the driving experience.