Most people driving down the A46 this week wouldn't recognise the Jaecoo 7 if it passed them. A year ago, plenty of UK drivers wouldn't have been able to name a single Chinese car brand. Now, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), that model has become Britain's best-selling car.
The numbers for September, traditionally one of the two biggest months of the year thanks to the new number plate change, are striking. UK new car registrations rose 12.1% year on year to 350,518, the strongest September since 2017 and the tenth consecutive month of growth for the market. The Jaecoo 7 topped the table with 10,813 registrations, pushing the Tesla Model 3 (9,929) into second place and the long-time favourite Ford Puma down to third.
It is a genuinely new development. Jaecoo, part of the Chery Group, only arrived in the UK in 2024. Its rapid rise, alongside strong showings from BYD's Sealion 7 and Seal, reflects a broader shift: Chinese manufacturers now account for close to a quarter of the UK market, built largely on sharp pricing, generous equipment levels and a genuine push into electric and hybrid technology.
Speaking of electric cars, September also set a new record. Battery electric vehicles reached a 28.3% market share, up 36.3% on the same month last year, with roughly five new BEVs registered every minute of the month. Combine that with plug-in hybrids and full hybrids, and electrified vehicles of all kinds made up 58.4% of everything sold. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes welcomed the growth but struck a note of caution too, pointing out that uptake still lags behind the government's mandated targets, partly because the UK continues to have some of the toughest emissions rules and highest energy costs anywhere in the world.
Oddly, diesel had a moment as well. Sales of diesel cars grew 11.5% year on year even as pump prices sit at multi-year highs, a reminder that plenty of drivers, particularly those covering higher motorway mileages, still see it as the sensible choice for their circumstances.
What does all this actually mean if you're simply trying to choose your next car? Mostly, it means choice. There are now 178 battery electric models alone available to UK buyers, and the arrival of competitively priced Chinese brands has pushed every manufacturer to sharpen their offers, whether that's on price, equipment or finance terms. Models that would have seemed unusual on a UK driveway two or three years ago are now genuine mainstream contenders, and that competition tends to be good news for anyone shopping around.
It also means the decision is a little less straightforward than it used to be. Electric, hybrid, petrol and diesel all have a case to make depending on your mileage, your access to home charging and how long you intend to keep the car. A model that's cheap to buy outright isn't always the cheapest overall once you factor in running costs, depreciation and servicing, which is exactly the kind of comparison that gets lost in a straight showroom price comparison.
If you've noticed more unfamiliar badges on the road lately, you're not imagining it, and it's worth keeping an open mind. Whether that means a closer look at one of the newer Chinese brands, a well-proven hybrid, or simply holding out to see how the market settles, there's rarely been a better moment to compare what's actually out there rather than assume the usual names are still the only sensible shout.