Chinese cars are appearing on UK roads at lightning speed, with badges such as BYD and Jaecoo seemingly parked everywhere and pulling up alongside you at traffic lights.
And what drivers are seeing with their own eyes is being reflected in the sales figures, with Chinese carmakers responsible for some of the biggest shifts in the UK new car market during the first half of 2026.
By the end of June, new-entrant brands had captured a record 15.8 per cent share of the UK new car market.
In particular, Jaecoo, BYD and Omoda recorded the strongest gains in market share as established European, Korean and Japanese manufacturers face mounting pressure.
How significant are these shifts? And how quickly are these Chinese brands growing?
Based on the latest year-to-date figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), we’ve ranked Chinese carmakers by market share to see which has secured the largest slice of the UK automotive pie.
Some are small fry, accounting for miniscule amounts of the motors that we buy, but others have become major players, including a very well-known name that sells one in every 25 new cars.
Chinese carmakers are gaining market share, some more successfully than others. Here we rank them from lowest share to highest, and GWM (Ora 03 pictured) starts off at the bottom
Great Wall Motor (GWM): 0.01% market share
Headquarters: Baoding, Hebei, China
UK brand launch: Late 2022
Sales in 2026 so far: 151 units
Starting small, GWM holds just 0.01 per cent market share.
It’s unsurprising that it is one of the smallest Chinese carmakers in the UK at the time of writing, given that it has just two models on sale: the Haval Jolion Pro SUV (£21,995) and the POER 300 pick-up (£32,495).
GWM’s electric supermini, the Ora 3, formerly known as the ‘Funky Cat’, was axed earlier this year due to poor sales.
Skywell is joint bottom with a market share of 0.01%. Its main importer, Innovation Automotive, has closed its doors, leaving the manufacturer in limbo
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Skywell: 0.01% market share
Headquarters: Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
UK brand launch: May 2024
Sales in 2026 so far: 90 units
Level with GWM on 0.01 per cent market share is Skywell.
The Chinese carmaker, owned by the Skyworth Group, is currently facing headwinds after its UK importer, Innovation Automotive, ceased trading.
Skywell, which has just one model on sale, the BE11 26MY mid-size electric SUV (£31,990), has delivered only 127 vehicles since launching in Britain in 2024.
The company said at the start of July that it is seeking a new distributor and hopes to appoint one within weeks.
Aion only launched this year and has one model on sale, with another on the way. It holds 0.02% market share
Aion: 0.02% market share
Headquarters: Guangzhou, China
UK brand launch: May 2026
Sales in 2026 so far: 240 units
Aion is the electric-car brand of GAC, one of China’s five largest vehicle manufacturers. So far it has achieved a 0.02 per cent market share.
The brand currently offers one model, the Aion V family SUV (£36,450). Its Aion UT compact electric hatchback, with pricing yet to be confirmed, will launch later this year.
XPeng has one car on sale, the G6 (pictured). XPeng currently has a market share of 0.07%
XPeng: 0.07% market share
Headquarters: Tianhe District, Guangzhou, China
UK brand launch: February 2025
Sales in 2026 so far: 930 units
XPeng is the technology-focused Chinese carmaker with one model currently on sale: the G6 electric SUV, which can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in just 12 minutes. Prices start from £39,990.
XPeng’s market share currently stands at 0.07 per cent.
Changan has been present in Europe for the best part of two decades. It holds a market share of 0.15% so far in the UK
Changan: 0.15% market share
Headquarters: Jiangbei District, Chongqing, China
UK brand launch: September 2025
Sales in 2026 so far: 1,948 units
Despite being relatively unknown to British buyers, Changan has been present in Europe for the best part of two decades.
The manufacturer currently sells two models: the Deepal S05 electric SUV (£37,990) and the larger Deepal S07 electric SUV (£39,990).
So far, Changan has secured a 0.15 per cent share of the market.
Geely is another of a dozen Chinese newcomers to arrive in the UK. It commands 0.63% of the UK car market
Geely: 0.63% market share
Headquarters: Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
UK brand launch: October 2025
Sales in 2026 so far: 8,160 units
Geely owns or holds stakes in a number of European brands, including Volvo, Polestar and Lotus.
However, it also sells vehicles under its own name in Britain. The range includes the all-electric EX5 SUV (£31,990) and the Starray EM-i hybrid SUV (£29,990). A third model, the all-electric EX2 hatchback (£20,990), is due to arrive before the end of August.
Geely currently commands 0.63 per cent market share.
Leapmotor describes itself as ‘Britain’s new EV brand’ and has a market share of 0.65% so far
Leapmotor: 0.65% market share
Headquarters: Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
UK brand launch: March 2025
Sales in 2026 so far: 8,375 units
Leapmotor describes itself as ‘Britain’s new EV brand’ and operates as a joint venture between Leapmotor (49 per cent) and Stellantis (51 per cent). It currently commands 0.65 per cent market share.
The company has four models on sale: the T03 city car (£15,990, making it the UK’s second-cheapest new EV), the B05 hatchback (£30,495), the B10 SUV (£31,995) and the C10 SUV (£36,500).
Two additional models, the B03X and B03, are due to arrive between now and 2027.
Chery started selling SUVs under its own brand name last summer and has already captured 1.64% of the UK car market year to date
Chery: 1.64% market share
Headquarters: Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
UK brand launch: Summer 2025
Sales so far in 2026: 21,191 units
We’re now entering a run of Chery-owned brands, with the Chery Group currently boasting four SUV marques on sale in the UK.
Together, the three Chery brands with measurable market share currently account for a combined 6.41 per cent of the market.
Chery, the group’s namesake brand rather than a sub-brand, arrived after Omoda and Jaecoo but is already growing rapidly, with a year-to-date market share of 1.64 per cent.
The value-focused marque already offers six models: the Tiggo 4 Super Hybrid (£19,995), Tiggo 7 (£24,995), Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid (£29,995), Tiggo 8 seven-seater SUV (£28,545), Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid (£33,545) and the Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid (£43,105).
Omoda was the first Chery Group brand to arrive in Britain, launching in summer 2024. It holds a 1.71% market share
Omoda: 1.71% market share
Headquarters: Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
UK brand launch: August 2024
Sales in 2026 so far: 22,164 units
Omoda was the first Chery Group brand to arrive in Britain, launching in summer 2024 with the Omoda five (£24,040) and E5 (£33,065).
The line-up has since expanded to include the Omoda 7, available with petrol or Super Hybrid powertrains from £29,965, and the flagship Omoda 9 SHS-P (£44,995).
The brand currently holds a 1.71 per cent market share.
The Jaecoo 7, dubbed the ‘Temu Range Rover’, has helped Jaecoo achieve remarkable sales growth in a short time. Jaecoo now has a market share of 3.06%
Jaecoo: 3.06% market share
Headquarters: Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
UK brand launch: February 2025
Sales so far in 2026: 39,569
Jaecoo is the Chinese brand whose Jaecoo 7 SUV went viral on social media as the ‘Temu Range Rover’ due to its similar styling and significantly lower price than a Range Rover Velar.
The resulting exposure translated into immediate sales success, helping the brand secure a year-to-date market share of 3.06 per cent.
Its range includes the Jaecoo 5 (£24,555), Jaecoo 5 EV (£27,505), Jaecoo 7 (from £30,165) in petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms, and the Jaecoo 8 Super Hybrid (£45,500).
BYD has the second-largest market share among Chinese carmakers at 3.43%. It has 14 models for buyers to choose from
BYD: 3.43% market share
Headquarters: Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
UK brand launch: March 2023 (passenger cars)
Sales so far in 2026: 44,398 units
BYD is officially the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, having overtaken Tesla to become one of the best-known Chinese carmakers globally.
The brand has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the UK since arriving in 2023, becoming Britain’s best-selling EV brand during the first quarter of this year. Its market share now stands at 3.43 per cent.
BYD’s UK petrol and EV line-up alone comprises the Dolphin (£30,230), Dolphin Surf (£18,675), Atto 2 (£30,875), Atto 3 Evo (£38,990), Seal (£45,730) and Sealion 7 (£47,025).
It also offers, or will soon offer, eight plug-in hybrid models.
Meanwhile, its Denza sub-brand has launched the Z9GT shooting brake (£95,000), D9 MPV (£75,000), Z electric supercar (£142,900) and Bao 5 off-roader (£69,500).
MG is the Chinese carmaker with the largest market share. It has a 4.32% slice of the UK car market
MG: 4.32% market share
Headquarters: Shanghai, China
UK brand launch: 2007
Sales so far in 2026: 55,944 units
MG is the most established Chinese-owned car brand in the UK and currently holds the largest market share among Chinese manufacturers at 4.32 per cent.
SAIC Motor acquired MG in 2007 and has transformed the British heritage marque into a successful producer of affordable modern vehicles.
The strategy has delivered exceptional growth, with MG now offering 15 models, ranging from the halo Cyberster (£55,245) to the MG3 supermini (£17,495).
Mainstream carmakers losing market share as Chinese brands gain
While Chinese brands are rapidly increasing their presence in the UK market, many established manufacturers are moving in the opposite direction.
BMW’s market share has declined by 3.59 per cent year to date compared with the same period in 2025, while Ford is down 5.19 per cent.
Even value-focused brands such as Dacia are feeling the pressure, with its market share down 6.02 per cent year on year.
Land Rover has recorded a more modest decline of 1.98 per cent, while Hyundai has suffered a larger fall, with its market share down 8.60 per cent.
However, these declines pale in comparison with the losses experienced by some other marques.
Japanese brands Nissan, Honda and Mazda have seen market share fall by 15.77 per cent, 16.44 per cent and 20.77 per cent respectively.
Seat, part of the Volkswagen Group, has suffered an even steeper decline, with its market share down 28.77 per cent.
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