Jaecoo 7 storms to top of UK car sales as Chinese-backed brand claims landmark number one spot
A car brand that most British motorists had barely heard of 18 months ago has pulled off one of the more remarkable feats in recent UK automotive history.
The Jaecoo 7, manufactured by China’s Chery Group, was the best-selling new car in Britain in March, according to registration figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
It is the first time the model has claimed the top spot, though its rise has been anything but sudden. The Jaecoo 7 has featured in the UK’s top ten since September 2025, and March’s performance, 10,064 registrations in a single month, some 70 per cent ahead of the second-placed vehicle, suggests the brand has moved well beyond curiosity value.
Year-to-date sales stand at 15,569 units, giving the model a 2.66 per cent share of the total UK market last month. That figure would have seemed fanciful when the brand launched its UK operation, yet it now sits comfortably alongside established volume players.
What makes the numbers particularly striking is the mix. Jaecoo reports that 55 per cent of sales came through private retail rather than fleet channels, a ratio many legacy manufacturers would envy. Meanwhile, the range-topping plug-in hybrid variant, built around the company’s Super Hybrid System, accounted for 85 per cent of March registrations, underlining the extent to which electrified powertrains are now shaping mainstream buying decisions rather than merely satisfying regulatory targets.
Gary Lan, chief executive of Jaecoo UK, described the result as “a landmark moment” for the business. He pointed to the role of the brand’s 124-strong dealer network and the manufacturing depth of its parent group, which he said had allowed Jaecoo to “adapt quickly to UK market needs and grow sustainably.”
The model range spans a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol and the headline plug-in hybrid, the latter offering a combined range of up to 745 miles with 56 miles of electric-only driving. Prices start at £29,105 for the petrol variant, rising to £35,175 for the hybrid, and the whole range is backed by a seven-year warranty.
Jaecoo is not resting on a single month’s triumph. A pure hybrid version and a Black Luxury Edition of the plug-in are due in May, alongside the larger Jaecoo 8, a six- or seven-seat SUV priced from £45,500 that will arrive exclusively as an all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid with more than 700 miles of total range.
For established carmakers, the message is clear enough: the days when Chinese-backed brands could be dismissed as marginal players are over. Whether Jaecoo can sustain its position through the quieter months ahead will be the real test, but March 2026 will be remembered as the moment the brand announced itself as a serious force in the UK market.
