Chinese Car Brands UK 2026: Worth Buying or Too Risky?

A few years ago a BYD or an Omoda on a UK driveway was a curiosity. In 2026 it is completely normal. BYD alone has now passed 100,000 UK sales, having gone from a single model to a full range in about three years, and by some counts Chinese brands as a group are now outselling the Japanese ones that dominated for decades. If you are shopping for a car this year, you will be offered one. So should you buy?

How the takeover happened so fast

The speed is the remarkable part. It took Toyota and Kia roughly a decade each to reach 1% of the UK market. BYD did it in about two years, and Chery, the parent of Omoda and Jaecoo, in under twelve months. Chinese manufacturers now make up somewhere between roughly 9% and 14% of new car registrations depending on the month and who is counting, with their share doubling in the space of a year. BYD has overtaken Tesla as the UK's best-selling electric brand, and the Jaecoo 7, nicknamed the "Temu Range Rover" for its premium looks at a budget price, has become a genuine best-seller.

Why they are so tempting

It comes down to value. Chinese brands tend to undercut established rivals on price while piling in standard equipment, big touchscreens and long warranties, and they bring new models to market far quicker than the traditional makers. The UK has also kept a more open trade stance than the EU, which has put tariffs on Chinese EVs, so the cars stay noticeably cheaper here. The appeal is real: the Omoda E5 was the UK's best-selling salary-sacrifice car in 2025, finishing ahead of the Tesla Model Y.

The catch: resale value is the big unknown

Here is where you need your eyes open. The one thing a low sticker price does not tell you is what the car will be worth in three years, and on current evidence Chinese cars are losing value faster than established brands. Some European data has Chinese EVs and plug-in hybrids depreciating at around twice the market average, with three-year residuals well below what you would expect from a comparable Tesla or European model. A chunk of that eye-catching upfront saving can quietly disappear as depreciation.

The reasons are not mysterious. Most of these brands have only been here two to four years, so their depreciation curves are still forming. Buyers further down the chain worry about parts availability, software support, dealer networks and, bluntly, whether every brand will still exist in five years. The picture is not uniform: MG, which is Chinese-owned but has been on UK roads for years and has a big dealer network, has the most predictable residuals, while the newest arrivals are the least certain.

So, should you buy one?

For a lot of drivers, yes, with your sums done properly. If you are buying new, you get a well-equipped car for less money, but you should assume a steeper-than-average drop in the first couple of years and factor that into the true cost of ownership, especially if you tend to change cars often. If you are buying used, there are real bargains to be had precisely because these cars have fallen so far, so fast, but choose carefully and understand the residual and battery-support picture before you commit.

Either way, the golden rule is the same as with any car: do not judge it on the advert. Work out what the specific model is genuinely worth today, look at how that badge holds its value over time, and if you are financing, make sure the monthly figure still makes sense once likely depreciation is baked in. The Chinese takeover has been great for choice and great for price. Just go in with the full picture, not only the headline.