New car registrations in the UK increased by 12% year-on-year in September Chinese car brands perform well

Data recently released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that in September 2026, new car registrations in the UK increased by 12% year-on-year, reaching the highest level in the same period since 2017. Among them, Chinese car brands performed well, with a Chinese model becoming the best-selling model in the UK in September.

This change attracted international media attention.

Reuters reported on October 2 that electric vehicle demand and Chinese car brands are becoming important growth forces in the British auto market. Data show that the registration volume of pure electric vehicles in the UK increased by 36% year-on-year in September, reaching 99,199 units, accounting for 28.3% of the new car market that month.

The report noted that Chinese car brands have been "rapidly expanding" in the British market in recent years. Chinese models topped the list of car sales for the month, which also shows that Chinese brands are gradually entering the mainstream consumers' horizons from new entrants in the British auto market.

The British "Guardian" paid further attention to the reasons behind the rapid growth of Chinese automobile brands on October 4. The report quoted industry data as saying that in the first eight months of 2026, the share of Chinese brands in the British new car market will more than triple from the previous period, reaching 12%.

The Guardian quoted Ian Plummer, commercial director of the British car trading platform "Autotrader", as saying that competition brought by Chinese brands has made cars more affordable and "is encouraging more people to buy new cars."

In addition to price, product competitiveness is also a factor of concern to those in the British automotive industry. The Guardian quoted a British auto industry figure as saying that Chinese consumers are increasingly favoring local car brands because these cars are "really very good."

From the top spot in monthly sales, to the rapid increase in market share, to the attention of British industry insiders on price and product competitiveness, recent British media reports show that Chinese automobile brands are gaining more and more attention from British consumers with a richer model selection, more competitive prices and increasing product strength.

Compilation｜Wang Yiming