The Jaecoo 7, made by China's Chery, was the U.K.'s bestselling vehicle in September. When Mark Thewlis, a 33-year-old from England's south coast, searched for a new family car, he was struck by how much cheaper the Jaecoo 7 was than luxury brands with a similar look and feel. He calculated the upfront cost of his preferred version at around $50,000, half the price of a visually similar Range Rover model. Its resemblance to the 56-year-old British luxury brand has earned it the nickname 'Temu Range Rover.'
No big industrialized economy has embraced Chinese cars more enthusiastically than the U.K., where Brits like Thewlis are being won over by the combination of affordable prices with status-signaling styling and technology. In the first half of 2026, almost every sixth car sold in Britain bore a Chinese brand, according to Schmidt Automotive Research—a higher proportion than in any other European country except Norway. Britain's vehicle imports from China have almost doubled this year compared with the same period in 2025.
Cratering sales in China have encouraged its manufacturers to look for growth overseas. Through September, Chery's sales more than tripled compared with the same period last year, putting it ahead of Ford Motor, which for decades led the U.K. market. Jaecoo has lured customers with interest-free loans, attracting buyers who previously owned luxury brands such as BMW, Mercedes and Range Rover.
Source: Wall Street Journal US Business · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing