Chinese car brands: the essential guide for UK car buyers

Just as Japanese car brands began flooding the UK market during the seventies and Korean marques arrived on these shores a decade or so behind them, a slew of new Chinese manufacturers are expected to arrive in the coming years as companies from the People’s Republic aim to capitalise on the electric car revolution.

But with so many different names all fighting for the same market, it can be easy to confuse which brand offers what. So with that in mind, here’s our rundown of the Chinese car makers you should be taking note of – most of which have already arrived in the UK or are on their way here.

BYD

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• Founded: 2003  
• Arrived: 2023
• Dealer network: 60 locations
• Specialism: Rotating screens and long kit lists
• Notable models: Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal

Having ‘Build Your Dreams’ on the bootlid sounds like something that might put off buyers, but BYD is in fact the biggest seller of EVs globally, surpassing even Tesla. From the cheap-as-chips BYD Dolphin to the slinky BYD Seal saloon, with its 3.7-second 0-62mph time, all models are loaded with kit and boast surprisingly strong build quality. The brand’s party piece has to be the rotating touchscreen that can go from portrait to landscape at the tap of a button. Is it a useful or a gimmick that will eventually be ignored? You decide.

GWM Haval

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• Founded: 2013  
• Coming: 2025
• Dealer network: 43 locations*
• Specialism: Budget hybrid-powered SUVs
• Notable model: Haval Jolion Pro

Haval is a brand owned by Great Wall Motor (GWM), which will be offering the wallet-friendly Jolion Pro hybrid crossover in the UK. It may be the second GWM brand to be introduced to the UK after Ora, but it’s actually the firm’s most popular, with Haval offering as many as 10 different models – all of them SUVs – back in China. Haval, in addition to Ora and any other brands GWM decides to bring to the UK, will all be sold together in dedicated GWM dealerships.

GWM Ora

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• Founded: 2018  
• Arrived: 2022
• Dealer network: 43 locations*
• Specialism: Cutesy retro-styled EVs
• Notable model: 03

The lowdown: Capitalising on the retro design craze is Ora, another string to GWM’s bow. Ora arrived in the UK back in 2022 with the Funky Cat hatchback. The model didn’t quite fall on its feet, with only around 1,000 examples being bought nationwide by the beginning of 2024. With this in mind, Ora has rebranded its fleet to adopt more traditional numerical nameplates, with a retro-styled saloon set to arrive by the end of 2025 as 
a rival to the Tesla Model 3. Recent big price cuts should also help the renamed Ora 03 persuade buyers to part with their hard-earned cash.

Jaecoo

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• Founded: 2023  
• Arrived: 2024  
• Dealer network: 75 locations*
• Specialism: Chunky and rugged SUVs
• Notable model: J7

Jaecoo is China’s wallet-friendly answer to the likes of Land Rover. It’s owned by Chery and launched in the UK alongside partner brand Omoda (see below), while Jaecoo’s offerings – currently limited to the Nissan Qashqai-rivalling J7 here – focus on chunky 4x4-esque styling with limited off-road capability. Production is based in Spain and with more than 70 dealers shared with Omoda across the country, Jaecoo has quickly become one of the better-established Chinese brands in the UK.

Leapmotor

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• Founded: 2015  
• Arrived: 2024
• Dealer network: N/A
• Specialism: Affordable EVs
• Notable model: T03 and C10

Challenging the £15,000 Dacia Spring on price is no easy feat, but it’s exactly what Leapmotor’s first model, the T03 city car, aims to do. Starting from just £16,000, it is slightly more expensive than the Dacia, although it does get more kit and a longer range as standard. Leapmotor isn’t only about the T03, though, because the C10 electric SUV will also be on sale here soon, with the B10 SUV possibly not far behind. And with Stellantis (the owner of Vauxhall, Peugeot and many others) owning a majority stake, the brand will soon start popping up in and around Stellantis dealerships.

MG Motor

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• Founded: 1924  
• Arrived: 2011 (resumption of sales under Chinese ownership)
• Dealer network: 174 locations 
• Specialism: Budget pricing under a British name
• Notable models: MG4 EV, ZS and Cyberster

The badge and name might look and sound familiar, but this is not the MG you remember. The brand was bought in 2007 by Chinese conglomerate SAIC, and has since grown into a formidable force in the UK budget-car market. Throughout the 2010s, MG’s line-up was frumpy and uninteresting, but the arrival of the MG4 changed that with its angular styling and sporty drive, while keeping a bargain price tag. Now there’s still a whiff of the MG of old with the new, all-electric Cyberster sports car – essentially the classic MGB reborn for the modern era.

NIO

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• Founded: 2014 
• Coming: 2025
• Dealer network: N/A
• Specialism: Battery-swap technology
• Notable models: ET5, EL7n

Not keen on waiting around to charge an EV and wish there was a quicker way to get back on the road? NIO may have the solution with its groundbreaking battery-swap tech. Already in place in countries such as Germany, NIO offers owners the choice of traditionally charging their EV, or heading to one of a growing number of locations where the pack can be swapped out for a fully charged one in as little as five minutes. NIO offers nine different models globally, and has just launched the Firefly sub-brand for Europe, with its MINI Cooper E rival set to arrive before the end of 2025.

Omoda

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• Founded: 2022  
• Arrived: 2024
• Dealer network: 75 locations*
• Specialism: Design-led electrified SUVs
• Notable model: 5

Omoda is another brand that’s been created by Chery in order to cater for markets outside of China. Aimed at younger, fashion-focused buyers, the brand currently offers one model, the Omodo 5, in both petrol and electric form in the UK. More vehicles are on their way, including the hybrid-powered Omoda 7, which has the Toyota RAV4 in its sights. It’s worth noting that while Omoda cars are sold under the Chery name back in China, Omoda has an engineering laboratory in Frankfurt, which is designed to help adapt the brand’s models for European roads and tastes.

Skywell

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• Founded: 2017  
• Arrived: 2024
• Dealer network: Two locations
• Specialism: EVs and commercial vehicles
• Notable model: BE11

While the majority of Chinese car manufacturers are focusing on the consumer market, Skywell is one of the few firms from the country that aims to offer commercial vehicles as well. Skywell already sells the BE11 electric sports utility vehicle in the UK, which boasts a tempting price tag and a big boot, with the Q hatchback on its way to these shores to challenge the MG4 and Volkswagen ID.3 hatchbacks. The Skywell 233 van recently made its debut at the 2024 Paris Motor Show, with UK specifications and pricing set to be unveiled this spring.

Xiaomi Auto

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• Founded: 2021  
• Coming: TBC
• Dealer network: N/A
• Specialism: In-car tech
• Notable model: SU7

You might know Xiaomi as a maker of smartphones, but the tech giant has since turned its attention to the EV industry, putting its expertise on battery technology and smart interfaces to the test. The brand’s first car is the SU7 – a rival to the Porsche Taycan with more than 1,550bhp in track-focused Ultra guise – which currently holds the Nürburgring track record for four-door electric cars.  Xiaomi is also showcasing its tech expertise in other ways, with rear passengers in the SU7 (as well as, most likely, the forthcoming YU7 SUV) getting Xiaomi tablets mounted on the back of the front seats.

XPeng

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• Founded: 2014  
• Coming: 2025
• Dealer network: N/A
• Specialism: AI technology
• Notable models: G6, P7+, Aero HT

AI (artificial intelligence) is the buzzword of the moment and Chinese firm XPeng aims to use it to its advantage with its next generation of electric vehicles. Its models are due to be sold alongside Subarus and Isuzus in the UK, and we’ve already driven the XPeng G6, which is a pretty compelling alternative to the Tesla Model Y. The forthcoming P7+ saloon, meanwhile, is set to utilise AI to bolster its self-driving capabilities. If that doesn’t pique your interest, XPeng also recently unveiled a six-wheeled rival to the Tesla Cybertruck with a pilotable quadcopter in the boot.

Zeekr

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• Founded: 2021  
• Coming: 2025
• Dealer network: N/A
• Specialism: Industry-leading safety tech
• Notable models: X, 001, 7X

Zeekr is one of the more premium electric car brands to come out of China so far, and is owned by conglomerate Geely, which also has Polestar, Volvo and even Lotus in its stable. Recently, the Zeekr X was awarded Best in Class recognition by industry safety expert, Euro NCAP, for small SUVs and pure-electric vehicles, thanks to its focus on crash structures and fast-reacting driver-assistance tech. The brand’s 001 fastback saloon, 7X family SUV and 007 electric estate are all expected to arrive in the UK before the end of 2025, although this is yet to be confirmed.

Now you know the brands but should you buy a Chinese car? We find out...