Jaecoo 7 named UK’s best-selling car as Chinese brands take nearly quarter of market
The Jaecoo 7 was the UK’s best-selling new car in September – its second month at the top this year – as Chinese brands soared above European competitors.
The SUV previously topped the rankings in March, meaning it was the nation’s most popular model in the two most important months of the year for the new car market. March and September are historically the strongest months for sales because the age identifiers on numberplates change, encouraging buyers into cars whose plates show they are the latest on the roads.
According to preliminary figures released by industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 10,813 examples of the 7 were registered last month. The Tesla Model 3 netted second place, with 9929 registrations, followed by the Ford Puma (6958). The only other Chinese car to feature in the top 10 was the MG HS, in eighth (5444).
Despite having few individual models with large sales, Chinese manufacturers accounted for 23% of the UK market last month. BYD was the second-best-selling brand, with 20,140 registrations, putting it ahead of Kia, which recorded 18,399. Volkswagen took first place, with 25,972.
Meanwhile, several long-established brands experienced significant drops in September. Hyundai’s 10,002 registrations represented a fall of 31.9% year on year and Renault’s result of 6721 cars was down by 29.7%.
Omoda-Jaecoo managing director Victor Zhang said the twin brands are “here to stay” following their unprecedented rise in the UK. He added that the ambition is now to go from “the fastest-growing brand to a firmly established one”.
Omoda-Jaecoo’s parent company, Chery, recently opened an R&D base at the UTAC Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire to help it better localise cars for the UK market, focusing on tuning driver assistance systems and chassis.
It is also expanding its parts distribution network with a view to reducing repair times for customers. According to the 2026 What Car? Reliability Survey, nearly two thirds of Jaecoo 7 owners who encountered problems with their cars had to wait more than a week for resolution.
Chery has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Nissan about potentially building its cars at the Japanese firm’s factory in Sunderland – which could include the Jaecoo 7.
September was a strong month for the broader new car market. Overall registrations totalled 350,518, up 12.7% year on year.
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