Chinese carmakers are on the rise in the UK – and many Brits are welcoming them

MAIDSTONE, England — Izzy Woodrow is a believer.

Four weeks ago, he joined a small but growing number of Brits who bought a Chinese-made car.

“I have a car that I enjoy driving [and is] it is very comfortable. It’s very quiet and the fit and finish is good and the technical experience is a pleasure,” said Woodrow during an interview at Lipscomb Cars in Maidstone, England. The Geely dealership in southeast London opened last year.

It’s part of a trend, as sales of Chinese-made cars have been booming in the United Kingdom.

In 2015, Brits bought only 384 Chinese cars imported into the country, according to Mobility Global, a car consultancy. In 2020, that number increased to 25,302, and last year it was 285,000.

Besides selling just two Geely models, Lipscomb was attracting buyers like Chris and Tracy Smith.

“It’s value for money, and what you get in equipment unlike some of the high-end products that sell for almost more money, but with less features in it,” said Chris Smith.

Analyst Will Roberts of Benchmark, a car consultancy, said that Chinese-made cars from companies such as BYD are no longer a novelty in the UK.

“I remember seeing the first BYD cross London Bridge a few years ago, and that was a big moment in a way. Since then, it’s become second nature,” said Roberts.

Car sales in China have boomed in recent years as the country’s demand for new models has cooled. In the first half of 2026, domestic car sales fell by 26% while car exports rose by 72% compared to last year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

While the rest of Europe has seen an influx of Chinese-made cars and SUVs, the UK stands out because it does not charge extra tax on hybrid electric vehicles, which is the case in the EU.

That gave China’s car manufacturers an opportunity.

“It’s becoming a high-end market that’s progressing well in electrification and there’s a need for cheap cars with that space to fill it,” said Roberts.

Many Chinese models are priced a few thousand pounds less than comparable models from legacy automakers. For example, the new Volkswagen Tiguan plug-in hybrid built in Germany has been on sale in the United Kingdom for just over a year. £43,000. ($58,000) By comparison, the China-made BYD Seal U costs approx £10,000 less.

Officials of automakers, including America’s so-called Big 3, have long complained that Chinese government subsidies allow those companies to sell cars at much lower prices than other companies in Asia, the US and Europe. Despite those complaints, China’s auto exports continue to grow.

“The Chinese are coming to Europe with really attractive cars at attractive prices with technology that beats what they can buy from a European manufacturer,” General Motors board member Jon McNeill told CNBC.

At Lipscomb Cars, salesman John Panda-Noah said he believes competitive pricing may get buyers in the door, but the fit, finish and technology of the new Geely is what wins them over.

“When they see a car, they are blown away by the way it looks,” he said.