Best Chinese cars in the UK
High-quality Chinese cars from rated and reviewed dealers
The best cars from Chinese brands you can buy in the UK in 2026
Chinese cars have successfully done what Korean and Japanese cars did in the 2000s and 1960s respectively - they’ve gone from slightly rubbish cars that you’d only buy due to the price, to genuinely good vehicles offering the latest tech, appealing styling and impressive value for money.
Some, like the Chery Tiggo 4, appeal simply because they undercut all the alternatives. Others, such as the Jaecoo 8 or BYD Seal, are genuinely competitive cars with all the finesse, quality and luxury of the established car manufacturers.
Some Chinese cars are so good they’re even worthy of special recognition - the Chery Tiggo 8 won the 2026 Carwow Car of the Year award, for example.
Every Chinese car on sale in the UK has been extensively tested by our expert reviews team in real-world scenarios. Here are our ten favourites:
1. Chery Tiggo 8
Chery Tiggo 8 reviewThe Chery Tiggo 8 is one of those cars that makes you wonder why the alternatives cost so much. It’s a big seven-seater with an interior that feels genuinely posh, has loads of standard equipment and features an excellent plug-in hybrid engine, all for family hatchback cash. No wonder it won our 2026 Carwow Car of the Year award.
Its appeal goes beyond just getting a lot of metal for your money. The interior feels solidly assembled, with soft upholstery across much of the dashboard and doors. It’s a cabin you can show off to passengers without having to add ‘but it was cheap’ every time they touch something.
There’s room in the first two rows for tall adults to get comfy, while seats six and seven are handy for occasional use by smaller children. They’re tight for adults, though, and with them in place there’s just 117 litres left for luggage - but treat the Tiggo 8 as a five-seater and you get a massive 700-litre boot, which is great for family holidays. Anyone regularly carrying seven people and their bags should consider something bigger, such as the MG S9.
You won’t need to spend extra on equipment to make even the basic ‘Aspire’ trim feel respectable. It gets heated seats, a surround-view camera, wireless phone charging and wireless smartphone connectivity all as standard. ‘Summit’, though, adds luxuries such as ventilated front seats, a panoramic roof, head-up display and powered tailgate. There’s even a massaging front passenger seat.
Prioritise getting the plug-in hybrid engine over the extra toys, though. It’s considerably smoother, quieter and more economical than the disappointing petrol version, and has an official electric range of 56 miles. Charge up regularly at home and plenty of everyday journeys needn’t involve the petrol engine at all.
Nothing’s without compromise, of course. The Tiggo 8’s touchscreen menus are fiddly, and the suspension is a bit unsettled over rough roads. But few cars combine this much equipment, interior quality and family flexibility at such an accessible price.
2. MG3
MG MG3 reviewMG may have a familiar British badge, but the Chinese-owned brand has made its name by offering a lot of car for the money - the MG3 being its strongest example. The petrol version is one of the cheapest cars on sale of any kind, but it’s sluggish and inefficient - the slightly pricier Hybrid+ is definitely the way to go.
It gives you lively performance and an automatic gearbox for far less money than you’d spend on the equivalent Toyota Yaris or Renault Clio. It’s also quite enjoyable to drive for a budget car, with enough power to make joining a motorway feel easy and enough grip that chucking it into corners can be pretty fun.
Equipment is generous too. The SE model gets climate control, adaptive cruise control and smartphone connectivity, while Trophy trim adds heated seats, a surround-view camera and keyless entry - and is often the cheaper of the two models to lease.
The interior looks smart, though at this price you won’t be surprised to find some cheap, scratchy plastics. The touchscreen punches above its weight, too, with a responsive interface and some well thought-out shortcut buttons that allow you to dodge some of the more confusing menus.
Adults can fit in the MG3’s back seats, though they won’t thank you for a long journey, and the boot is an average size. It’s on a par for practicality with the Renault Clio hybrid and Toyota Yaris, then, though a petrol Skoda Fabia is much more capacious.
The MG3’s low purchase price, generous kit, punchy engine and 50+mpg make it an appealing small car for buyers watching their budget.
3. Chery Tiggo 4
Chery Tiggo 4 reviewThe Chery Tiggo 4 is proof that a cheap family car doesn’t have to mean cramming the kids into a tiny hatchback or accepting a miserly equipment list. It’s by some margin the cheapest hybrid SUV you can buy in the UK, but once you’re on board it feels really grown-up.
The dashboard has neat fabric and wood-effect detailing, while the twin 12.3-inch screens look more expensive than the price suggests. There are hard plastics, naturally, but the overall impression is more upmarket than in an MG ZS or Dacia Duster. Separate climate controls also save you from doing everything through the touchscreen.
Even the entry-level ‘Aspire’ model has LED headlights, keyless entry and a reversing camera, while ‘Summit’ brings heated seats, artificial leather upholstery and a wireless charging pad.
Better yet, the Tiggo 4’s sheer size means there’s space for adults in the back, so it’s a much more useful family option than a similarly priced small hatchback. There’s a generous 430-litre boot, too, though an awkward hump covering the 12-volt battery is a particularly poor design decision that gets in the way of bulky luggage.
The self-charging hybrid system is smooth and pretty powerful, excellent for long motorway trips - though at around 50mpg real-world fuel economy is nowhere near up to the standards of the Toyota Yaris Cross.
It’s not as nice to drive as the Yaris Cross either, but considering it’s so much cheaper the space, equipment and interior finish make it feel like a proper bargain.
4. MG S9
MG S9 reviewIf you have one of those families that goes on holiday inclusive of the kitchen sink, then the MG S9 deserves a look. It’s an enormous seven-seat SUV with a huge amount of space for the money, comes standard with a long-range plug-in hybrid engine and lots of equipment too.
Boot space is the headline attraction: there’s a massive 1,026 litres with the third row of seats folded, and even with all seven seats occupied there’s 332 litres of space. That makes it much easier to carry passengers and bags at the same time than in the Chery Tiggo 8. The third-row seats are still best-suited to children, though.
Even the base trim has a panoramic glass roof, heated front seats, surround-view cameras and a powered tailgate, but stepping up to Premium gets you a Bose stereo and ventilated, massaging front seats.
The 62-mile electric range lets you cover lots of everyday journeys without ever needing to use petrol, though it’s a shame that the suspension thumps over broken roads and that the touchscreen is pretty frustrating to use.
5. Omoda 7
OMODA 7 reviewThe Omoda 7 deserves your attention for more than just its good-value price tag. It’s a spacious, smart-looking family SUV with a particularly good plug-in hybrid system, so it’s a convincing alternative to familiar names such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and Hyundai Tucson.
It has plenty of room for adults in both rows of seats, and a huge boot so you don’t need to pack lightly either. The interior feels solidly assembled, though some of the artificial leather looks a bit less convincing than you’d hope. More annoying are the touchscreen’s complicated menus, though the display itself is clear and quick to respond.
Equipment is as generous as you might expect, as heated front seats, surround-view cameras and keyless entry are standard, with top-spec Noble trims getting a panoramic roof, ventilated front seats and a Sony stereo. There’s even a movable front touchscreen and fragrance diffuser.
Choose the plug-in hybrid model instead of the petrol - it’s smooth, quiet and can do up to 56 miles on a charge. And compared to the rather soft and wallowy Chery Tiggo 8 or Jaecoo 7, the Omoda is a lot more capable on a country road, with steering that genuinely feels quite nice to use. It’s an impressive family car package.
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6. BYD Dolphin G
BYD Dolphin G reviewThe BYD Dolphin G brings plug-in hybrid technology to the small hatchback class, without the hefty price tag you might expect. It costs similar money to the self-charging Toyota Yaris, but offers considerably more space and the ability to complete longer journeys on electricity alone.
The entry-level version has an official electric range of 25 miles, but the others can do up to 65 miles on a charge. And even when the battery is discharged, impressive fuel economy of well over 60mpg is easily achievable - so you don’t need to spend every journey searching for a plug.
It’s a physically larger car than the Yaris, so there’s enough rear legroom for tall adults, and the 425-litre boot is even bigger than a Volkswagen Golf’s. Though its high loading lip means you need to watch your back lifting heavy bags in.
The infotainment system is easy to use, and there’s loads of standard equipment. Some interior materials feel cheap and mark easily, though, while wind and engine noise disturb the peace on the motorway. It’s not quite as comfortable as a Toyota Yaris either, but it offers a lot of versatility for your money.
7. BYD Seal
BYD Seal reviewThe BYD Seal is one of the most attractive electric saloons around - Chinese or otherwise - and the appeal continues once you open the door. Its flowing dashboard, low seating position and interesting upholstery make it feel rather more special than the deliberately minimalist Tesla Model 3.
It’s also one of the Chinese cars that’s worth choosing because you enjoy driving. The steering is quick, there’s plenty of grip and it feels agile on a country road, without punishing you with uncomfortable suspension around town. The powerful all-wheel-drive version is exceptionally quick, too.
There are practical compromises. Rear headroom is tight for tall passengers, and the boot isn’t as generous as the Tesla Model 3’s. The touchscreen looks sharp but buries too many functions in awkward menus.
More significantly, the Seal isn’t particularly efficient with its battery charge, and similarly priced alternatives can travel further. A Model 3 is a stronger choice if range and value top your list, but the BYD’s styling, comfort and character give you good reasons to consider it.
8. Geely EX5
Geely EX5 reviewThe Geely EX5 looks pretty anonymous outside, but its interior makes a much stronger impression. It’s spacious, smartly finished and impressively solid, with materials that wouldn’t look out of place in a considerably more expensive SUV.
Rear passengers get an especially good deal. There’s room for a six-footer to stretch out, while useful storage includes a drawer under the rear bench. The trade-off is a relatively small 410-litre boot, which is quite compact for a car of this size. A Volkswagen ID4 is much better-suited to families with lots of luggage.
The big touchscreen is sharp and responsive, and customisable shortcuts and wireless smartphone connectivity makes everyday use even easier.
The EX5 prioritises comfort, suiting its role as affordable family transport. The main limitation is range: even the largest battery offers an official maximum range of 280 miles, while versions of the Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq can manage more than 350 miles to a charge. If you mainly top up at home and rarely cover huge distances, though, the Geely’s cabin and generous equipment are persuasive.
9. Jaecoo 8
Jaecoo 8 reviewThe Jaecoo 8 offers loads of luxury car ingredients without a luxury car price. Its cabin has hints of Mercedes about it, there’s generous standard equipment, and the plug-in hybrid system combines huge performance with an official electric range of a whopping 83 miles.
You can choose between the seven-seat Luxury and six-seat Executive. The latter swaps the middle bench for two individual chairs with heating, ventilation and massage functions, making it particularly appealing if your passengers prefer being pampered to squeezed together.
Don’t assume its large size makes it the ultimate family bus, though. The third row is cramped, and access is awkward - particularly on the Executive where the middle seats don’t even move out of the way. A Hyundai Santa Fe is better if regularly carrying lots of people is your priority.
Fold the rearmost seats away and a 738-litre boot makes the Jaecoo more useful. It’s comfortable and the hybrid system works smoothly, but fiddly touchscreen controls and a few questionable finishes spoil the expensive impression. Think of it as a lavish four- or five-person car with occasional extra seats, and it’s quite impressive.
10. Jaecoo 7
Jaecoo 7 reviewThe Jaecoo 7 has been staggeringly popular since its launch, and a lot of that is down to the way it looks - with its upright shape, enormous grille and flush door handles, there’s more than a hint of Range Rover about it.
Inside, the appeal is more than skin deep too. The cabin feels well assembled, with plenty of soft-touch materials and generous equipment. There’s also more than enough passenger space for family duties, though the shallow 410-litre boot in the hybrid model is disappointing given the car’s chunky proportions.
Despite the small boot, we’d still choose the plug-in hybrid over the noisy and thirsty petrol version. It combines smooth operation with great fuel economy even when you’re not charging it. A conventional hybrid is available, but only in the rather Spartan entry-level trim - so best avoided.
The biggest catch is comfort. The suspension thumps over rough surfaces, and motorway noise is more noticeable than it should be. There are also cheaper Chinese alternatives now, including the Chery Tiggo 7. Still, if distinctive looks, a smart cabin and a long equipment list matter most, the Jaecoo has obvious appeal.
Factors to consider when choosing a Chinese car
Electric, petrol or hybrid?
It’s amazing how quickly Chinese cars are catching up to the traditional mainstream brands in terms of powertrain technology. Sure, the petrol engines in Chery, Jaecoo and Omoda products are agricultural, but the plug-in hybrid systems are up there with the best the world has to offer. Electric performance is ever-improving, too, with the MG IM6 and Xpeng G6 offering usable real-world range and rapid charging speeds.
Warranty cover
It’s worth remembering that while most of the new Chinese brands offer impressive warranties, you might have cause to make more use of that warranty than you would with a more familiar brand. Some brands are just too new in a UK context to get a solid handle on their long-term reliability, MG is currently struggling, having finished plum-last in the most recent Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, with 28.1% of owners reporting faults with their cars.
Ease of maintenance
Unsurprisingly, MG - which has been on sale in the UK the longest of all the brands listed here - has the biggest number of dealers, which makes it the most convenient of the bunch when it comes to getting your car in for a service or other bits of aftercare. BYD is catching up, but the likes of Xpeng, Jaecoo, and Omoda are still very much in the build-up phase. In the short term you might struggle to find a dealer near you.
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