Best Chinese cars 2026
Not sure which of the many new Chinese cars arriving in the UK are worthy of your attention? Allow us to point you in the right direction
Chinese cars are now here in full force, and they’re now serious rivals for the best cars from European, Korean and Japanese companies. The speed of progress from China’s car brands has been head-spinning, with the very best Chinese car manufacturers now seeking to conquer new markets with a range of models that often undercut established players on price while beating them on tech.
Why are Chinese cars so appealing?
Chinese cars of today are a far cry from those of the early noughties. Manufacturers from China were often the butt of motor show jokes as they filled their stands with half-baked rip-offs of well known European machines. When the Chinese marques did design and build their own models without ‘inspiration’ from established brands, they were bargain basement offerings that were dynamically way off the pace.
Today, that’s all changed, as was proven by the Jaecoo 7 being named the best-selling car in the UK for a number of months during 2026. There are now a number of ambitious Chinese car brands vying for Brits’ attention, with most offering a wide range of models from affordable superminis to premium SUVs, and everything in between, including a drop-top two-seater sports car.
Today’s top Chinese cars can match their established competitors in terms of kerb appeal, practicality, performance and even desirable on-board tech. Some Chinese electric cars deliver impressive range and charging capabilities that lead the market.
Yet one aspect of the Chinese car hasn’t changed: the price. In almost every case, the models in our list of the best Chinese cars undercut their better-known European rivals by thousands, despite often offering more kit and a longer warranty. The case for the Chinese car is increasingly hard to ignore.
1. MG4 Urban
- Prices from: £23,495
- Best Chinese car
If you want a spacious hatchback with lots of kit and great value for money, the MG4 Urban embarrasses most of its competition.
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If, like us, you thought the ‘original’ MG4 offered almost unbeatable value-for-money, the new MG4 Urban is on another level when it comes to bang for your buck.
For starters, prices start from less than £23,500, meaning this smart-looking all-electric family hatchback is one of the most affordable EVs currently on the market, costing about the same as superminis such as the Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster.
But it’s far more practical than those similarly priced but smaller cars. In fact, the 577-litre boot is on par with mid-size SUVs such as the Kia Sportage, and there’s also loads of space for rear-seat passengers.
Up front, MG’s new interior design represents a major leap forward in both onboard tech and quality compared with what the brand was delivering just a few years ago.
Every model features a sharp 12.8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a seven-inch digital driver’s display, plus a slim bank of physical dials and buttons for the climate control and some other key functions, which we always appreciate. That said, there are no controls for the headlights behind the steering wheel – you’re forced to use the touchscreen to adjust them, which is somewhat annoying.
The entry-level Comfort Standard Range model offers 201 miles of range from a 41.9kWh battery. Next up, for just under £25,500, is the Comfort Long Range which gets a larger 52.8kWh powerpack that’s good for a more useful 258 miles on a charge.
Finally at close to £28,000, the Premium Long Range gets the same upgraded battery and extended range, but adds luxuries such as a 360-degree camera and heated seats. It’s not often we’d recommend opting for a top-of-the-range model, however, considering it costs less than the most basic Vauxhall Corsa Electric, why not treat yourself.
“As you’d hope for a car with the name Urban, it’s easy to drive around town, thanks in part to an expansive windscreen and short bonnet that make it easy to place on the road. Plus there’s a proper one-pedal driving mode for the regenerative braking to help make stop-start traffic less stressful.” - Ellis Hyde, news reporter.
2. BYD Seal
- Prices from: £45,730
BYD’s attempt to take on the Tesla Model 3 is largely successful.
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It was the UK debut of the BYD Seal that really prompted us to take note of the brand. It had already been out in China for a few years by the time it arrived here (and has subsequently been replaced by a new model in its home market), but it still felt like a fresh product with very competitive range figures.
Straight-line performance is good, with the fastest version cracking 0-62mph in just 3.8 seconds, making up for the Seal being a bit underwhelming in the corners. Most buyers will be more bothered about things like the interior quality, which is superb, and the cabin’s optional Dynaudio sound system is well worth having.
A mid-life update saw the Seal become more practical, with folding rear seats for the first time, and a larger frunk capacity. It remains one of the less usable cars in the class, though - others, like the Volkswagen ID.7, have more practical boot openings.
It might be a little off-putting to learn that BYD sits in 20th place out of 30 manufacturers for reliability in the Driver Power survey, but the presence of an impressive six-year warranty is reassuring, at least.
3. MG HS PHEV
- Prices from: £33,495
The MG HS PHEV might be inexpensive, but being well-equipped and being built to a high standard, it's a great mid-size SUV.
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The MG HS PHEV is another demonstration of the brand’s expertise when it comes to delivering exceptional value for money. This is a mid-sized family SUV that comes generously equipped, feels spacious and is impressively refined on a motorway, yet it’s one of the cheapest plug-in hybrids currently on sale.
When it comes to practicality, because the new MG HS is slightly bigger than the last one and has a longer wheelbase, there’s plenty of room for even six-foot-tall adults in the back to sit comfortably. Meanwhile, the 507-litre boot, which is no smaller than the petrol version’s boot, offers more space than a Nissan Qashqai’s. Although it’s still a little way off the up to 587 litres the Kia Sportage boasts.
Then there’s the standard kit. Every MG HS features dual 12.3-inch displays, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, LED headlights, a reversing camera, 19-inch alloys, adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring. Don’t mind spending a little bit more? For just £2,500, Trophy trim adds a wireless phone charger, 360-degree camera system, better stereo, dual-zone climate control, a powered tailgate and heated front seats.
The standard petrol model and the self-charging Hybrid+ have temptingly low starting prices, but it’s well worth spending extra on the PHEV with its 75 miles of pure-electric range. It came away as the winner from our Chinese hybrid mega test last year.
“Our first experience of the MG HS was in the pure-petrol model, and to say we weren’t overly satisfied with the driving experience would be something of an understatement. Our drive in the plug-in hybrid version quickly revealed it to be the far superior choice.” - Ellis Hyde, news reporter.
4. Geely Starray
- Prices from: £29,990
Geely’s assault on the UK market continues with the Starray, which offers tremendous value for money.
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In its native China, this car is called the Geely Galaxy Starship 7. Which we think sounds brilliant. Perhaps because Ford might have something to say about a car from another brand called ‘Galaxy’, it’s sold here as the Geely Starray.
While that name doesn’t stand out as much, the price should draw your attention. Under £30,000 for a plug-in hybrid of this size represents brilliant value for money even as far as Chinese cars go, and it’s not like the entry-level version skimps on equipment.
We’d recommend getting the bigger battery, which boosts the electric-only range to 84 miles. That’s a good number, but we’d usually expect more from a battery pack with a capacity of nearly 30kWh.
As with other models, including the Geely EX2, the Starray’s chassis is said to have been tuned by Lotus, although it’s not clear exactly how much involvement Hethel’s engineers had. The ride and handling is generally one of the Starray’s weaker points, and we’re not keen on the touchscreen-focused approach of the cabin ergonomics.
Clawing back some ground, the Starray is very roomy, and while the long-term reliability picture with Chinese cars like this is a bit of an unknown, it’ll ease your mind to learn that this car comes with an eight-year warranty.
“The Starray is fine to drive in urban environments. There aren’t hyper-responsive reactions from the controls, like in some plug-in hybrids, while the soft suspension makes reasonable work of big potholes and speed bumps at low speed.” - Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter.
5. BYD Dolphin G
- Prices from: £23,495
By far the UK’s cheapest plug-in hybrid, the Dolphin G’s sheer value for money helps mask its less-good elements.
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The ‘G’ in BYD Dolphin G is supposed to stand for ‘genius’. Which is perhaps a bit of a stretch. This BYD model doesn’t do anything to reinvent the wheel, but what it does do is offer astonishing value for money.
Granted, that’s a general theme with Chinese cars, but a plug-in hybrid for £23,995 is unprecedented. The MG HS held the position of the UK’s cheapest plug-in hybrid for some time, but the Dolphin G is the best part of £10,000 less expensive.
There are a couple of caveats to that, of course. The Dolphin is a much smaller car than the MG - smaller PHEVs are still relatively rare in the UK. In fact, BYD has another, the Atto 2 DM-i, which was also the UK’s cheapest PHEV before being usurped by the Dolphin G. The second thing to bear in mind is that the entry-level Active version has a dinky 7.4kWh battery pack, giving just 25 miles of electric-only range according to the WLTP combined figure. You might struggle to get more than 20 in real-world driving conditions.
It’s worth, then, spending more to get the Boost, which comes with a far larger 18.3kWh unit for a more useful 65 miles of EV range. It’s not like that version breaks the bank, either, costing £26,990. Standard equipment levels are healthy, too.
The Dolphin G’s value proposition means you’re more likely to overlook the bits that aren’t so good. The driving experience isn’t the best, particularly in terms of low-speed ride, and while the cabin design is smart, a lot of its materials feel cheap.
6. Geely EX2
- Prices from: £20,995
China’s best-selling car is here in the UK, offering an alternative to the likes of the Renault Twingo.
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Geely’s arrival in the UK feels a bit belated, with the company having sold cars here under its various subsidiaries including Volvo, Polestar and Lotus for some years now. Its arrival hasn’t quite prompted the seismic shift in the market we’ve seen triggered by rival Chery and its sub-brands, but with the Geely EX2, things are starting to make some sense.
Crucially, it’s cheap, starting at just over £20,995, and it’s not much more for the well-equipped Max and Ultra versions of the car. These get a bigger battery, although the range is still a bit behind many rivals at 214 miles. The smaller battery in the entry-level Pro gives a mere 156 miles, although that is comparable to the Renault Twingo, and more than a Honda Super-N.
Lotus is said to have had a hand in the EX2’s suspension development, but the handling is nothing special, and the ride struggles to settle. The cabin is a bit bland, too, and contains a lot of cheap-feeling, hard plastics.
It’s a roomy car, though, with an abundance of space for passengers in the rear, which is far from a given in this class. The 375-litre boot is a decent enough size, too, and the 25-litre drawer underneath the rear seats is a neat touch.
7. BYD Dolphin Surf
- Prices from: £18,675
The BYD Dolphin Surf might be one of the cheapest electric cars on the market, but it’s fun, efficient and far from Spartan.
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It’s hard to believe BYD only landed on UK shores three years ago, because the brand now has a range of 13 cars, and there’s more still to come! We’ve been impressed by pretty much all of them, but one of the best is the BYD Dolphin Surf, which shook up the small electric car sector with its starting price of less than £19,000, roomy cabin, competitive range and particularly generous amount of standard kit.
While the surprisingly sharp-looking Dolphin Surf might be the smallest car BYD sells, it somehow manages to offer room to fit four adults comfortably plus 308 litres of boot space, which is about the same as the bigger Vauxhall Corsa.
It doesn’t feel like you’re sitting in the cheap seats driving the Dolphin Surf, either, because the cabin looks smart, quality is good for such an affordable city car, and every model features a 10.1-inch touchscreen plus a 7.2-inch digital driver’s display.
While it’s not the most exciting car to drive due to its fairly uninvolving handling, its suspension is more than adequate to deal with the UK’s rough roads, and the light controls make it very easy to live with.
Entry-level Active and mid-range Boost models feature a peppy 87bhp electric motor, which is more than plenty around town. Meanwhile, the Comfort model packs a punchy 154bhp, and this is the one we’d choose if you plan on doing more high-speed driving.
The base model only has a 137-mile range from its 30kWh battery, which may be adequate for those who only drive in town, however all others get a larger 43.2kWh powerpack that ups the range to 200 miles that gives drivers more flexibility.
Whichever version you choose, we think you should get close to the official range, as we achieved an exceptional 5.6 miles/kWh when testing the car in warm summer temperatures, and a still very impressive 3.9 miles/kWh in the cooler temperatures we experienced during our affordable EV range test.
“Short bursts of acceleration in the mid-range Boost version are OK, like from 20-30mph; however, things tail off extremely quickly after that. That’s fine in a city, but on the open road you’ll wish you upgraded to the more powerful Comfort model.” - Ellis Hyde, news reporter
8. Omoda 7
- Prices from: £29,965
Sister car to the wildly popular Jaecoo 7, the Omoda 7 builds on that appeal with more space
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Although it can be hard to keep up with all the new models coming to the UK from China, the Omoda 7 is definitely one worth paying attention to. It shares much in common with the Jaecoo 7, one of the most popular cars in the UK.
If you were already interested in the Jaecoo but weren’t quite sold on the looks, the Omoda could be a great alternative, taking on a very different look. It’s also slightly cheaper and a bit bigger.
It’s available with the same plug-in hybrid powertrain, blending a 1.5-litre engine with an 18.3kWh battery pack for a range of up to 56 miles. What’s particularly impressive is that this figure is, based on our testing, actually achievable in real-world driving conditions.
It gets better, because the interior has a clean design and seems to be made from high-quality materials. It’s roomy, too, and it’s good to see that the plug-in hybrid only loses a tiny amount of boot space compared to the pure petrol model. Often, it can be a huge drop.
We have a similar list of complaints as we do for the Jaecoo, though. The infotainment, for one thing, is much too fiddly, which is a pain when it needs to be used for so many functions. The 7 is not that great to drive, either, which, as you might have gathered, is a theme with Chinese cars.
“With so much of its technology shared with the smash-hit Jaecoo 7, it would be easy to assume the Omoda 7 will be a success too. There are lots of positives; it’s slightly cheaper and more spacious than the Jaecoo, and has the same PHEV system with tremendous EV range.” - Alastair Crooks, senior reporter.
9. MGS9
- Prices from: £34,210
The S9 is a big seven-seater that’s some £10,000 cheaper than similarly capable SUVs from some rivals.
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The MGS9 is the biggest MG ever, providing seating for seven at a knock-down price. It’s exclusively available as a plug-in hybrid, and yet that hasn’t stopped MG from slapping a tempting £34k price tag on it. A Kia Sorento with a plug-in hybrid powertrain is about £10,000 more.
There are some compromises that have to be made to get those savings, though. When we first tested an MGS9, we noticed a few cabin quality issues, while the infotainment system proved a little laggy. The ride ought to be better, too, but the steering is far superior to that of the average Chinese car - MG generally seems to be better than most in this area.
There’s better news elsewhere. The standard equipment list is very strong considering how little you’re paying, and you also get the same brilliant PHEV setup seen in the smaller MG HS. Given the extra weight that the larger S9 has to carry around, it can’t go quite as far on a charge, but in any case, 63 miles of electric-only running is a healthy number. We’ve found that to be a relatively realistic number on our tests, as well.
“Whenever the petrol engine kicks in, it is pretty smooth, and while it doesn’t make the nicest sound, it’s not particularly noisy. A reason for that is that it’s mounted well in front of the front axle, buried within the MGS9’s enormous engine bay.” - Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter.
10. Chery Tiggo 7
Prices from: £24,995
The Tiggo 7 isn’t without its flaws, but with such a low starting price, you’re unlikely to mind very much
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From the makers of the Jaecoo 7 and Omoda 7 comes the Chery Tiggo…7. We’ll happily let the lack of naming originality slide, along with some of the Chery Tiggo 7’s flaws, because it’s very affordable.
With a starting price of £24,995, it’s a decent-sized SUV for the price of a lot of superminis. It’s cheaper than some, in fact. And it’s not like you’ll be wanting for equipment, with the Tiggo 7 loaded up with plenty, even regardless of the trim level you go for.
So, what gives? Well, the driving dynamics are a bit disappointing, particularly with regard to the ride. And as with the Tiggo 7’s relatives from Chery’s sub-brands, the car is very reliant on a central touchscreen that’s fiddly to use.
The petrol engine is noisy and thirsty, too, so it’s definitely worth looking at the plug-in hybrid version, which is still very affordable and comes with a decent electric-only range of 56 miles. As a bonus, it’s much more powerful, offering 204bhp to the pure petrol’s 145bhp.
“Don’t go thinking Chery has achieved this price by stripping the Tiggo 7 of the essentials. As we’ve come to expect from Chinese cars, the Tiggo 7 is packed with equipment. The entry-level Aspire has twin 12.3-inch screens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, LED lights front and rear, a six-way powered driver’s seat and more.” - Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter.
Compare the best Chinese cars
Below, we’ve got a rundown of the best Chinese cars you can currently buy in the UK, sifting out the top-10 candidates from various different sectors. We’ve cast our net not just over what most would consider ‘Chinese brands’, but also cars that are built in the People’s Republic too by familiar marques that you may not know are now part of Chinese conglomerates.
| Rank | Make and model | Price from |
| 1. | MG4 Urban | £23,495 |
| 2. | BYD Seal | £45,730 |
| 3. | MG HS PHEV | £33,495 |
| 4. | Geely Starray | £29,990 |
| 5. | BYD Dolphin G | £23,990 |
| 6. | Geely EX2 | £20,995 |
| 7. | BYD Dolphin Surf | £18,675 |
| 8. | Omoda 7 | £29,965 |
| 9. | MGS9 | £34,210 |
| 10. | Chery Tiggo 7 | £24,995 |
How to choose the best Chinese car
From showroom novelty to mainstream success, Chinese cars have come a long way in the last decade or so. Buyers that took a look at the first MG models to hit the UK back in 2011 will be utterly amazed at the gargantuan improvements in quality, tech and driving dynamics.
Yet while the latest models are far superior to drive and live with, many have retained the attractive pricing that made those early cars so attractive to value-minded customers.
Narrow down your shortlist
There’s greater choice than ever, with the number of new brands hitting the streets getting bigger by the day – Leapmotor, Lepas, XPeng and Geely are just some of the most recent arrivals, and there’s more on the way very soon.
Some are more accomplished than others to say the least, which is why to help you narrow down your choices we ranked the best and worst Chinese brands currently in the UK.
Bear in mind, however, that many of these are just brand names for larger Chinese conglomerates. For instance, GWM, ORA and Haval are all part of the Great Wall Motor family, while Geely owns Polestar, Lotus, Smart and Zeekr to name a few.
Electric or hybrid power?
In general, the Chinese firms do tend to specialise in EVs, which overall are mostly a match for European rivals when it comes to quality and range, and in some cases are ahead when it comes to tech.
There are a handful of internal combustion and hybrid models such as the BYD Seal U and Jaecoo 7, however, these tend to feature engines and powertrains that trail the class leaders for refinement, power and efficiency, demonstrating that the Chinese brands still have some things left to learn.
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