Half of UK Drivers Would Now Consider a Chinese Car, Carwow Survey Finds

British car-buying platform Carwow published its latest consumer research on August 26, showing UK acceptance of Chinese car brands at a record high.

49% of drivers say they would put a Chinese brand on their next-car shortlist, a figure that stood at 24% in the first half of 2023 and 35% in the first half of this year, doubling in roughly three years.

The awareness climb is even more striking. 71% of respondents have heard of BYD, up from 28% in 2023. Chery-owned Jaecoo hit 69% awareness versus 46% a year ago, Omoda rose from 42% to 57%, the Chery parent brand jumped from 16% to 50%, and Xpeng went from 8% in 2023 to 20%.

The share of drivers who recognize none of the Chinese brands dropped from 23% in late 2025 to 16%. Carwow now lists more than 50 configurable Chinese models, up from 30 last August.

Value leads the motivation list, with 42% citing cost-effectiveness as the main reason to consider a Chinese car, 24% expecting competitive discounts, and 19% pointing to richer EV choice and better standard tech than legacy Western brands.

The money data backs the sentiment, since enquiries for Chinese models rose 119% in the first seven months of 2026, and Chinese brands now take 30% of all leads on the platform, up from 14% a year ago.

Consideration and purchase are never the same thing, but Britain's actual sales figures are keeping pace. Chinese brands took nearly 15% of UK new car registrations in the first half of 2026, the Jaecoo 7 was the country's best-selling car in March, and BYD outsold Tesla in Britain last year.

One structural advantage deserves note, since the UK has not followed the EU in imposing extra tariffs on Chinese EVs, with its Trade Remedies Authority still only assessing the case, and how long that policy window stays open will shape how far this curve extends.

For perspective, Kia needed 25 years to reach 5% UK market share, while Chery did it in eighteen months. The gates of Europe's oldest car market are not being stormed, they are being priced and equipped open.