🇬🇧 A landmark moment for Chinese brands in the UK
Chery Group chairman Yin Tongyue has carried a British award back to China after JAECOO 7 became the UK's best-selling new car — and says Chery is now the UK's No.2 brand overall. Here's the data behind the claim, and what it means for UK buyers.
London, 7 September 2026 — The chairman of Chery Group has publicly showcased a British trophy celebrating the JAECOO 7 as the UK's best-selling new car, telling a university audience in China that Chery now ranks second among all brands in the UK market.
Speaking at the "Youth Chapter" event at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei on 6 September, Chery chairman Yin Tongyue held up the "2026 Car of the Year" award given to the JAECOO 7 — the model that took the UK's monthly sales crown earlier this year.
JAECOO 7: the numbers behind the crown
According to official SMMT registration data confirmed by JAECOO UK, the JAECOO 7 was the most popular new car sold in Britain in March 2026, with 10,064 registrations in a single month — outperforming its closest model rival by 70%. The model also became the UK's most popular new car of 2026 year-to-date, with 15,703 finding new owners between January and the end of March.
Notably, 85% of JAECOO 7 sales were plug-in hybrid (SHS-P) variants, and 55% went to private retail buyers rather than fleets. The model achieved a 2.66% share of the entire UK new-car market in March — a significant figure for a brand that only entered the country in 2025.
Chery Group: second in the UK, behind only Volkswagen
Chery's UK success extends beyond a single model. Industry figures from March show the group — which sells under the JAECOO and Omoda brands in Britain — recorded 22,495 registrations in the month, up 481.6% year-on-year, placing it second among all brands behind Volkswagen and ahead of BMW, Audi, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz.
Yin told the audience: "29 years ago we started by buying second-hand equipment from a British factory. Now, among all car brands in the UK, we rank second. Three of the ten best-selling cars are from Chery."
From buying British machinery to a British sales podium
The symmetry is hard to miss. Chery's first steps in the 1990s involved acquiring used production equipment from a UK factory and shipping it to Wuhu, China, where the company built its first assembly line. Three decades on, the flow has reversed: a Chinese group is now among the top sellers in the UK, one of the world's most competitive car markets.
Chery Group has also been deepening its British footprint beyond showrooms. Its commercial vehicle arm selected Liverpool for its European headquarters, and from April 2027 Nissan's Sunderland plant — the UK's largest car factory — will begin contract manufacturing for Chery.
What it means for UK car buyers
The JAECOO 7 SHS-P plug-in hybrid offers a combined range of up to 745 miles (including 56 miles of EV-only driving), with prices starting at £29,105 OTR and a 7-year warranty backed by a growing 124-strong UK retail network. For buyers watching the Chinese-brand wave, the model's success confirms that UK consumers are willing to put new names on their driveways when the value equation is right.
If you're more interested in a fully electric Chinese-brand model, compare the Jaecoo E5 and Omoda E5 in our car database, or browse all electric cars in the UK to see how they stack up on range, price and charging speed.
