This post was originally published on Autocar
Confused by all the new cars coming to the UK? Let Autocar guide you through the who, what, where and when
If you’re a regular Autocar reader, you will have been seeing the news pinging with updates about the new car brands coming to the UK.
The influx of manufacturers entering our market can mostly be attributed to two reasons: the rise of the Chinese car industry and the buying habits of the public.
China is the world’s largest market for new cars, with more than 30 million being sold there in 2023 alone. It’s logical then, that many Chinese firms are now bringing their wares to Europe and the UK.
China has long concentrated on electric cars, whereas European manufacturers are still catching up ahead of the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars that will come into force in the UK in 2035.
Some research even suggests that buyers are becoming more brand-agnostic when it comes to EVs. Relatively new brands such as Tesla have come to prominence by focusing solely on selling zero-emissions cars, with the Tesla Model Y becoming the best-selling EV in the UK for 2024.
And soon there will be even more new brands in the UK. Keep reading to find out what they are, what cars they will be selling and when you can expect to see them on our roads.
Denza
Nationality Chinese
Parent company BYD
Denza has been around since 2010 and today finds itself marketed as a premium sibling brand of BYD.
It was originally a joint venture with Mercedes but is now entirely Build Your Dreams-controlled.
Its first car bound for Europe – the Z9 GT (pictured) – is a 925bhp electric GT. The mid-sized Bao 5 (yes like the Chinese steamed roll) is a Land Rover Defender-sized SUV that should wind up on our shores too.
Firefly
Nationality Chinese
Parent company Nio
Firefly is Nio’s budget offering. Its first car for the UK will be a Renault 5 rival that’s priced from as little as £16,000 in China.
The supermini will almost definitely cost more here but could still be one of the cheapest electric cars on the market.
Battery packs (and therefore power and range) are still to be confirmed, but it’s thought the brand may use Nio’s swappable battery packs.
Jaecoo
Nationality Chinese
Parent company Chery
Chery is a Chinese state-owned company founded in 1997 and best known as the joint-venture partner of JLR, handling production of Jaguar and Land Rover models for the local market.
Now its Jaecoo 7 SUV is coming to the UK. It’s roughly Hyundai Tucson-sized and comes with petrol with plug-in hybrid powertrains.
A dealer network of 50 sites is being established, with franchise partners Endeavour Automotive, Listers and Peter Vardy already committed.
Leapmotor
Nationality Chinese
Parent company None
Stellantis has exclusive rights to export Leapmotor cars outside of China and plans to start sales in the UK this year. Three models are so far en route.
The 3620mm-long Leapmotor T03 (pictured) is a Dacia Spring rival but with a 34-mile range advantage. The B10 is a crossover-styled Renault 5 rival. And the C10 is a family SUV with a 262-mile range.
Mobilize
Nationality French
Parent company Renault
Renault’s new urban mobility brand is entering the ‘sub-A-segment’ to take on the likes of the Citroen Ami and Micro Microlino.
The Mobilize Duo (pictured) is very Twizy-like; it would be fair to describe it as the little Renault’s spiritual successor.
Mind you, it has airbags and the big-battery version is apparently good for 100 miles.
A van version, called the Bento, trades the single rear seat for more boot space.
Onvo
Nationality Chinese
Parent company Nio
Onvo was only founded in 2024 but is already pitching itself as a Tesla and Polestar rival.
The Shanghai-based company is coming to the UK before the EU because of the lack of import tariffs on Chinese-built EVs.
The L60 will be the first car to hit the UK. Onvo describes it as the most aerodynamically efficient SUV on the market. It will likely be available with three BYD-supplied battery packs, the largest of which will offer a 620-mile range, according to China’s generous CLTC test cycle.
Xpeng
Nationality Chinese
Parent company None
The Chinese Tesla, with offices in California and Munich, was founded in 2014 by former GAC executives and soon received backing from Alibaba and Xiaomi tech entrepreneurs.
Its most famous for its ‘flying cars’, but a sensible electric SUV is en route to the UK this year.
Many a new car from China is described as a Tesla Model Y rival, but the Xpeng G6 (pictured) is the most credible. We’ve even given it a four-star rating.
There are only three versions: the single-motor Standard Range, single-motor Long Range and dual-motor Performance (although the last of those isn’t yet confirmed for UK sale).
Xpeng’s cars are imported into the UK by International Motors, which performs the same role for GWM, Isuzu and Subaru.
Yangwang
Nationality Chinese
Parent company BYD
This brand sounds like it’s lifted from a That Mitchell and Webb sketch, but its first car heading to the UK is butcher than Terry Butcher.
It’s the prestige brand of BYD and its largest car, the gargantuan Yangwang U8 SUV, should be en route later this year.
The tank-turning off-roader turns on a sixpence thanks to quad motors, floats in water (for up to 30 minutes), makes 1180bhp and has a kerb weight of nearly 3500kg.
Oh, and it’s not even an EV but a range-extender with four motors, a 49kWh battery and a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine working as a generator.