Almost half of British drivers would consider buying a Chinese car

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Interest among British car drivers for Chinese models has surged recently.

Brand awareness of Chinese companies has also increased, driving sales.

Many car shoppers cite the value for money of Chinese cars as a key appeal.

Chinese cars have taken the UK by storm, so much so that almost half of Britons now say they would consider buying from a Chinese brand for their next vehicle, a new study from Carwow has revealed.

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Read: BYD Hit 100,000 UK Sales In Three Years, A Third Of Them In Six Months

A remarkable 49 percent of drivers in the UK say a marque from China is on their shortlist for their next car, a huge spike from the 35 percent recorded earlier this year and the 39 percent from the second half of 2025. Rewind to the first half of 2023 and just 24 percent of local drivers said they would consider purchasing a Chinese car.

Badges Nobody Knew Three Years Ago

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Carwow

The study, which surveyed 1,270 Carwow users, found that recognition of Chinese brands has climbed steeply, and sales have moved with it. BYD is familiar to 71 percent of drivers. Jaecoo is known by 69 percent, up from 46 percent a year ago. Omoda has gone from 42 percent to 57 percent over the same stretch, while Chery managed a larger jump still, from 16 percent to 50 percent. Xpeng now registers with 20 percent of drivers, more than double the 8 percent it managed in 2023.

The share of respondents who recognized none of the Chinese brands on the list has shrunk as well, from 23 percent in the second half of 2025 to 16 percent today.

The Reviews People Actually Read

Chery UK

The value for money offered by vehicles from China is a key contributor to their popularity. In fact, 42 percent of drivers say value for money is the motivating factor to buy one, up from 36 percent in the first half of 2026. In addition, 28 percent cite competitive discounts as an attraction, while 19 percent say the additional EV model options from Chinese brands have attracted them.

Omoda / Jaecoo UK

Readership details of Carwow’s reviews are also telling. This year, 70 percent of the platform’s most-read reviews are for Chinese models, up 40 percent from two years ago. With the exception of the BMW iX3, which was the most-read car review, Chinese cars occupied the next seven positions. Popular models included the Jaecoo 7, Chery Tiggo 8, BYD Seal, Jaecoo 8, Omoda 5, BYD Seal U, and Chery Tiggo 7.

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“The dramatic increase in UK drivers considering Chinese brands on our platform isn’t just about cost-of-living pressures or lower price tags, it’s a shift in how people think about their cars,” Carwow’s Ben Carter said. “Buyers are leaving badge loyalty behind and looking for impressive tech and great value.”

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Carwow