Move over Ford Puma: China’s Jaecoo 7 is the UK’s best-selling car
More than 10,000 examples of the Jaecoo 7 were registered as the new ’26 registration was introduced
The Jaecoo 7 was the UK’s best-selling car in March. According to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), despite the Chinese brand having only arrived in Britain last year, its family SUV managed to outsell stalwarts including the Ford Puma and Nissan Qashqai.
Last month, just over 10,000 Jaecoo 7 models were registered in the UK, with more than 15,000 having joined the roads since the start of the year. This makes the 7 the second-best-selling car of 2026 so far, beaten only by the ever-popular Ford Puma; just shy of 9,200 Pumas were registered in March, taking sales so far this year to a total in excess of 16,000.
The CEO of Jaecoo UK, Gary Lan, dubbed the SMMT’s latest figures as a “landmark moment for Jaecoo.
“This result reflects not only the strength of the product, but also the commitment of our growing UK retail network and the confidence customers are placing in our brand,” he said. “While we are relatively new to the market, our global Chery Group manufacturing base and extensive experience in vehicle exports have enabled us to adapt quickly to UK market needs and grow sustainably here [in the UK]”
All of this comes at the same time as a record number of electric cars were registered in the UK. According to the SMMT, more than 86,000 EVs joined the roads in March, although this represented just 22.4 per cent of the overall market – behind the 33 per cent required by the Government’s ZEV Mandate. The best-selling EV was, once again, the Tesla Model Y, with over 5,000 examples registered last month.
Seeing even greater growth than EVs, however, were plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), with just shy of 50,000 new examples being registered in March alone – a 46.9 per cent increase over last year.
Such booming sales – more than 380,000 registrations overall in March – coincide with the introduction of the new ‘26 registration. The SMMT’s chief executive, Mike Hawes, said: “The strongest new car market since 2019, with the highest ever volume of EV registrations, is a boost to the industry and the economy. However, the headlines belie the costs incurred and the challenges involved.
“Much of March’s performance will be from orders placed before the start of the Iran conflict, which threatens to raise the cost of living, undermining consumer confidence,” he added. With this and the car market’s struggle to hit ZEV Mandate targets in mind, he repeated his calls for an urgent review of the EV transition. “[This] is required to secure a sustainable market, economic growth and the UK’s net-zero ambitions,” he said.
Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express? We’ll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too.
