Chinese Vehicles Become More Popular With British Consumers

Chinese auto brands captured 17.5% of the U.K. new car market in the first three quarters of 2026, helped by competitive pricing and advanced features, said an industry expert.

The rapid market expansion highlights the growing global clout of China’s automakers, even as they face the looming threat of higher U.K. tariffs pushed by the EU.

In the pure electric vehicle category, Chinese brands accounted for one-third of all new car registrations in the U.K. during the nine-month period. In September alone, registrations of new Chinese-branded vehicles reached 81,776 in the country, representing a 23.3% market share, David Wong, head of technology and innovation at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said on Thursday at the World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference.