The UK car industry faces another major threat as Chinese cars are proving popular among British motorists. According to Startline Motor Finance, car dealers are reporting that Chinese vehicles are “selling quickly”, with customers keen on getting their hands on new models.
February’s Used Car tracker survey from Startline Motor Finance found that 45% of used car dealers are now stocking cars from Chinese brands. The poll found that 33% of dealers on the whole said Chinese models are good value, which is proving a key driver of interest among road users.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “In the last couple of years, Chinese new entrants have made a sizeable impact in the new car market with a flood of new models and the rapid establishment of substantial dealer networks.
"Stock is now beginning to filter through into the used sector and it’s clear that a large proportion of dealers are enthusiastic about their arrival. Their proposition in the used sector is similar to new – these are models that represent good value and have high retail appeal.
“It’s interesting that every dealer we surveyed who had sold a Chinese car reported that they sell quickly. A fast turnaround is obviously a key metric for motor retailers seeking stock.”
Chinese cars have already proved a serious threat to the UK car market with impressive new car sales in 2025. Chinese companies accounted for 9.7% of the two million new car registrations in the UK last year.
New entrant Jaecoo sold almost 30,000 units in 2025 in their debut year in the UK, with Omoda registering almost 20,000 cars.
In comparison, car brands with large bases in the UK suffered, with Nissan sales down 16.65% year-on-year, while Vauxhall recorded a small 1.89% rise. Despite the success of Chinese vehicles, some dealers are more wary of overstocking on the new models too soon.
According to the poll, 37% said they are waiting to see how reliable Chinese cars prove to be, with 20% claiming that consumer awareness is low.
Paul added: “Objections from other respondents indicate a degree of wariness that might be applied to any unfamiliar car brand but to us, it seems likely worries over reliability and manufacturer support are likely to disappear relatively soon.”
