Jaecoo 7 becomes UK's best-selling new car in September as Chinese brands grow

The Jaecoo 7 was the UK's best-selling new vehicle in September, with 10,813 registrations according to The National, and more than 10,000 according to GB News. 1 2 The Tesla Model 3 was second with 9,929 registrations and the Ford Puma third with 6,958; GB News adds that the Jaecoo 7 also beat the Vauxhall Corsa and Nissan Qashqai. 2 1 For the year to date the Ford Puma is still ahead with 42,926 registrations, followed by the Jaecoo 7 (39,473) and the Kia Sportage (37,085). The Jaecoo 7 first took the top monthly spot in March but was overtaken by rivals until September. 2

Jaecoo and Omoda, both owned by Chery, took a 6.36 per cent market share in September with almost 22,300 vehicles; registrations were up 106 per cent year on year, with Jaecoo up 107 per cent and Omoda up 49 per cent, according to GB News. 1 GB News says Jaecoo and Omoda reached three per cent market share within 13 months of launch, against about 2.5 years for BYD and 11 years for MG, and cites SMMT data calling Jaecoo the fastest-growing mainstream brand in the UK over the last decade. 1 The National says Chinese brands including MG, BYD and GWM, led by the Jaecoo 7, took a 23 per cent share in September, and attributes their rise largely to the surge in electric vehicle popularity. The Jaecoo 7 is sold as a petrol or plug-in hybrid, and GB News says almost eight in 10 September sales were plug-in hybrids. 2 1

Overall UK new-car registrations rose 12.1 per cent to 350,518, the highest September since 2017, and electric vehicles took a record 58.4 per cent of registrations, according to preliminary SMMT data reported by The National. 2 The SMMT said battery electric vehicles are still only 26.2 per cent of registrations year to date, below the 33 per cent mandated for 2026, and that a further 265,000 registrations would be needed in the final quarter. Chief executive Mike Hawes called the September EV result "a major achievement" but said the UK has "the world's toughest targets and highest energy costs". 2 Victor Zhang, UK managing director for Jaecoo and Omoda, told reporters the brands are "here to stay". He said tariffs would not change their UK investment, and pointed to a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Nissan on possibly assembling Chery vehicles at its Sunderland plant. 2 1

Chinese EV imports face no extra tariffs in the UK, unlike in the EU. The National reports that a Nissan executive said the UK might have to levy similar tariffs to get equal treatment under EU local-content rules. 2 Jaecoo and Omoda plan to launch the Omoda 4 in the UK in Q1 2027 and to have more than 155 retailer sites by the end of 2027. GB News says they support over 1,000 retail jobs and directly employ over 115 people in the UK. 1 The National notes the Jaecoo 7 starts at about £30,000 and has been nicknamed the "Temu Range Rover" on social media. 2