Seven in 10 car buyers open to new Chinese brands, says Startline

More than 70% of UK motorists would consider buying a car from a Chinese manufacturer, according to Startline Motor Finance’s June Used Car Tracker. The research highlights growing consumer interest in new entrants such as BYD, Maxus and Chery – the three most recognised brands among respondents.

The latest survey of 301 consumers shows BYD leads brand awareness at 28%, followed by Maxus (19%) and Chery (14%).

Aiways, Denza and Jaecoo are all on 11%; Omoda and Xpeng on 10%; and Nio, Skywell and GWM Ora on 9%. The rest are Leapmotor (8%), Lynk & Co (7%), HiPhi (3%) and Zeekr (2%).               

otably, BYD sold almost 12,000 vehicles in the UK during the first four months of 2025.

Paul Burgess, Startline Motor Finance chief executive, said: “Chinese manufacturers are making a concerted assault on the UK market – almost 12,000 BYDs were sold here in the first four months of the year – and our research shows that consumers are receptive to the idea of buying a car from them.

“Many brands are appearing and the biggest problem that faces these new entrants is probably differentiation.

"Those that are investing heavily in marketing and building dealer networks on the ground are seeing the dividends in terms of consumer awareness and again, BYD is the obvious example, topping our survey.”

Trepidation remains for some buyers

However, 18% of respondents to the Startline Used Car Tracker say they’d rather stay with car brands that have a track record in the UK, 11% are worried about quality and 7% would rather support British car manufacturers.

Also, 4% are concerned about parts availability, 4% about security and 2% about dealer support.

Burgess said: "This shows that there is some trepidation among a minority of car buyers but really, concrete concerns that you might expect about the kind of quality and support that can be expected from the Chinese new entrants, are very low."