The UK registered 1,137,929 new cars in the first half of 2026, up 9.2% year on year. The Ford Puma kept its lead with 29,642 units, and the Kia Sportage held second on 25,828. Third place went to the Jaecoo 7, a Chinese-built SUV that only reached UK showrooms in 2025.
Jaecoo is one of two export brands - alongside sister brand Omoda - built by China’s Chery Group. Since its UK launch, the Jaecoo 7 has moved quickly up the sales chart: in March 2026 it was the single best-selling car in the country, ahead of every established rival.
Best-selling cars in the UK, H1 2026.
The rest of the top 10 stayed close to recent form. The Nissan Qashqai held fourth on 23,102, the Vauxhall Corsa fifth on 18,470, and the Volkswagen Golf sixth on 17,552. The MG HS, another nameplate under Chinese ownership (SAIC), took seventh with 16,721. The MINI Cooper was eighth on 16,295, the Volvo XC40 ninth on 16,031, and the Tesla Model Y closed out the top 10 on 15,341.
Month to month, the chart shuffles more than the half-year totals suggest. In June alone, Tesla took the top two spots outright - the Model Y on 6,765 units and the Model 3 on 5,408 - with the Puma third on 5,284.
SMMT’s figures count new vehicles registered by manufacturers and importers, so they can include private, fleet and dealer-stock registrations, not only actual retail handovers to end customers.
Jaecoo’s rise, alongside the MG HS’s place in the same top 10, is the clearest sign yet that Chinese-linked brands have moved from the fringe of the UK new-car market toward its mainstream.
Source: SMMT registration data, via Auto Express
