Chinese car brands are set to dominate the UK sales chart again in 2026, following a breakout year for several popular manufacturers.
New data has found that more than half of British car dealers say the popularity of new Chinese brands will be the number one used vehicle market trend over the coming 12 months.
This is followed by the accelerating transition to electric vehicles (50 per cent) and continuing shortage of good quality stock (38 per cent).
In total, Chinese brands represented more than five per cent of the total market share of new car registrations in 2025, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Data shows that 10 popular Chinese brands accounted for 111,607 total registrations, making up one in 20 car sales, as the UK saw 2.02 million new vehicles registered.
This was headlined by BYD, which has quickly become one of the most popular brands in the UK, with an impressive 2.54 per cent of the total market share.
Having sold more than 51,000 new cars, the Shenzhen-based automaker outsold the likes of Tesla, Citroen, Dacia, and Honda.
Having only launched in the UK over the last few years, BYD saw staggering year-on-year growth of 485.14 per cent, compared to 8,788 sales in 2024.
Car dealers said the popularity of Chinese cars would be the biggest trend of 2026
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BYD/JAECOO
Commenting on the data, Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, acknowledged that car dealers had a number of considerations across the rest of the year.
He said: “The popularity of Chinese new entrants has been very apparent in the last year or so, with increasing numbers of their cars appearing on our roads and growing UK franchise dealer networks.
“They will inevitably start to appear on the used market in higher volumes and dealers clearly believe this could have a substantial impact, probably both in terms of their appeal to buyers and the effect on the wider manufacturer sector.”
Other Chinese brands, including Jaecoo and Omoda, made a significant impact on British drivers, with a combined sales total of 48,087 last year.
In the second half of the year, the Jaecoo 7 was consistently ranked in the 10 best-selling vehicles, placing sixth in December with 2,863 registrations.
The Jaecoo 7 features an impressive Super Hybrid System (SHS) for £35,165 and a total range of 745 miles, with 56 miles of purely electric range.
Other brands launching in the UK recently include Chery, Leapmotor, Xpeng, GWM, Geely, Changan and Skywell.
The Startline survey also found that car dealers were concerned about the impact of high buyer interest in plug-in hybrids and the Government fuelling electric vehicle sales.
The Jaecoo 7 PHEV has already become one of the best-selling vehicles on the market | JAECOO
The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate outlines that manufacturers must have at least 33 per cent of total sales come from electric cars by the end of the year.
This has been paired with the Government’s funding for the Electric Car Grant, which allows motorists to save either £1,500 or £3,750 off the price of a new EV with a retail price of £37,000 or less.
Mr Burgess added: “The quantity of used electric cars available is growing and more dealers are starting to retail them successfully.
“Growing consumer interest in plug-in hybrids is also significant. Dealers increasingly view these as a stepping stone technology to full electrification for many motorists, and there is a strong expectation that demand will rise.”