Chinese car brands: what is arriving this year?

Chinese car manufacturers have been taking over the new car market in the UK, and it seems that domination shows no sign of stopping.

With their ultra-low price tags, electrified powertrains and up-to-date technology, it’s easy to see why British car buyers are buying these vehicles in droves.

So, what can we expect to see from China over the next 12 months? The UK’s new car market better be prepared, as there are several more Chinese firms heading to our shores, bringing their competitive prices and ground-breaking tech with them.

We’ve compiled a list of all of the new Chinese car brands that are arriving in the UK in 2026.

Lepas is the latest manufacturer to announce it will be heading to the UK very soon.

Lepas is owned by the Chinese conglomerate, Chery, and it’s been formed as part of the firm’s ‘export strategy’ programme, which are bespoke brands for the European markets.

The new company will sit alongside Chery’s other export brands such as Omoda and Jaecoo and will reveal its first model for the UK market in a couple of weeks time.

You may have never heard of Aion, but it’s owned by the Chinese GAC Group, and is about to launch two models in the UK.

The first is the V, which is an electric SUV built to rival cars such as the Volkswagen ID.4 and BYD Sealion 7.

It will be equipped with a 75kWh battery pack and an electric motor to provide a claimed range of up to 317 miles between charges and it will come with tech such as vehicle-to-load (V2L), allowing electrical appliances like a hair dryer to be plugged in using the car’s battery.

The second model is the UT electric hatchback; set to rival cars such as the MG4 and Volkswagen ID.3.

The UT will be available with 44kWh and 60kWh battery pack options, which can deliver a claimed range of up to 270 miles of range on the latter variant.

Denza is the premium sub-brand of the Chinese giant, BYD, and it plans to launch its first model in April.

The Z9GT will arrive in the UK in the spring, which is a four-door shooting brake, designed to take on the Porsche Panamera and Porsche Taycan and it will be available with plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains.

The Denza brand will continue to expand its model range into the future with the B5 plug-in hybrid SUV, D9 MPV and X supercar.

The company is also planning to install 300 of its 1,000kW ultra-rapid DC chargers in the UK this year, which the firm claims can replenish 250 miles of range in just five minutes.

Geely is one of China’s largest car manufacturers and owns other well-known European brands such as Polestar, Volvo and Lotus.

The firm has just launched its first two models here in the UK, focusing on the electrified SUV markets.

The EX5 electric SUV rivals cars such as the Skoda Elroq and Renault Scenic E-Tech. It’s equipped with a 60.2kWh battery pack and an electric motor which is good for a claimed 267 miles on a full charge.

The Starray is the second model in the Geely range and uses the firm’s plug-in hybrid setup: consisting of a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine mated to an electric motor and a choice of 18.4kWh and 29.8kWh battery packs, which can deliver claimed electric-only ranges of 51 miles and 84 miles, respectively.

Zeekr will be coming to the UK this year and will offer luxury and performance-focused models that come with electric powertrains.

Zeekr is owned by the aforementioned Chinese powerhouse, Geely, and its first model to arrive in the UK will be the 7GT, which will rival the Tesla Model Y and will be equipped with 75kWh and 100kWh battery options.

Later down the line, the firm will introduce the 7X electric SUV and will offer the same 75kWh and 100kWh battery packs.