The Jaecoo 7 was Britain's best-selling new car for the second month running in October 2026, according to SMMT figures published on 5 November. Chinese brands took more than a fifth of a 152,730-car market, slightly below September's 23.3%, while battery-electric cars reached a 32.0% share.
Jaecoo 7 beats the Ford Puma again
The SMMT's top-10 list shows the Jaecoo 7 on 3,412 registrations, only just ahead of the Ford Puma on 3,369. In September the Chery Group SUV had pushed the Puma off the top spot (our September report), and October suggests that was no plate-change blip. The Volkswagen Golf came third on 2,642, followed by the Mini Countryman, Kia Sportage, Mini Cooper and Nissan Qashqai.
There were three Chinese-brand models in the top 10. Alongside the Jaecoo 7, the MG HS finished eighth and the Jaecoo 5 tenth on 2,171. The Jaecoo 5 figure covers both the petrol car and the electric Jaecoo E5. That means Chery Group's newest SUV brand had two cars in Britain's top ten in a single month.
Chinese brands take more than 21% of the market
The total market grew 5.4% year on year to 152,730 cars. That was the 11th month of growth in a row, but only about half the 9.8% rate seen over the first ten months. October is always much smaller than September, when new number plates arrive, so the drop from September is seasonal.
Chinese brands took more than 21% of registrations, according to an analysis of the SMMT data by ChinaEVHome. In September they reached 23.3%, so their share eased a little in a smaller month. Their volumes were still far above October 2025:
- [MG](/brand/mg): 7,837 cars, up 85.1%. It is still the biggest Chinese brand, with 86,767 so far this year.
- Jaecoo: 6,089, up 113.6%.
- [BYD](/brand/byd): 6,065, up 73.3%. That takes it to 74,470 for January to October, up 90.5%, narrowing the gap to MG.
- [Chery](/brand/chery): 3,707, up 193.5%.
- [Omoda](/brand/omoda): 3,137.
- [Geely](/brand/geely): 2,269, a big month for a brand that has only just arrived in the UK.
- Leapmotor: 1,773, up 107.1%. Its year-to-date total is up 529.7%.
- Xpeng: 330, up 120%.
Put together, Jaecoo, Chery and Omoda registered almost 13,000 cars. That makes Chery Group the largest Chinese car group in Britain by monthly volume, ahead of SAIC's MG. For comparison, Volkswagen, the UK's biggest single brand, registered 13,687 cars. Toyota registered 6,190, about the same as BYD or Jaecoo alone, and Tesla registered just 282.
Electric cars reach 32% as Chinese EVs climb the chart
Battery-electric registrations rose 32.7% to 48,858, giving them a 32.0% share. That is the highest monthly share so far this year. Plug-in hybrids rose 30.1% to 22,898, a 15.0% share, so almost half of all new cars sold in October had a charging plug. Petrol fell 11.6% to 56,876, diesel fell 15.9% to 5,811 and conventional hybrids fell 5.0% to 18,287.
Chinese models are now a regular part of the EV top ten. The Jaecoo 5 (in practice the E5) was third behind the Skoda Enyaq and Mini Countryman Electric. The BYD Seal was sixth on 1,207 and the Leapmotor B10 was tenth on 1,028. Neither the Tesla Model 3 nor the Model Y made the list, even though they took the top two places in September.
SMMT warns the ZEV mandate gap will more than double
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said almost one in three new cars being electric was great progress, but that it was coming at enormous cost. In his view, the billions that industry and government are spending on incentives cannot continue indefinitely. The SMMT's latest outlook expects a 27.2% battery-electric share for 2026 against a 33% ZEV mandate target. By 2028 it forecasts 37.5% against a 52% target, more than doubling the gap. Hawes argued that higher targets can force supply but do not create demand, and called for the mandate review to bring substantive reform with immediate effect.
Not everyone agrees. EVA England said demand is clearly there and could be higher if the cost of public charging came down. Charging firm Pod warned against moving the regulatory goalposts again.
Year to date: a 1.89 million-car market
From January to October, 1.892 million new cars were registered, up 9.8%. The Jaecoo 7 is now Britain's second best-selling car of 2026, according to Carwow. MG and BYD together have registered more than 161,000 cars this year. BYD's record September and the strong months for its plug-in hybrids mean it is now within about 12,300 cars of MG.
What happens next
November and December are usually small months, so the full-year picture now depends on fleet orders and how hard brands push EVs to meet their mandate targets. For buyers, competition between Chinese newcomers is still pushing prices down: see our list of the cheapest Chinese electric cars on sale in the UK.
October vs September 2026
| October 2026 | September 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese brands' share | 21%+ | 23.3% |
| No.1 model | Jaecoo 7 (3,412) | Jaecoo 7 |
| Top EV | Skoda Enyaq (1,568) | Tesla Model Y / Model 3 |
| Chinese models in overall top 10 | Jaecoo 7, MG HS, Jaecoo 5 | See September report |
FAQ
What was the best-selling car in the UK in October 2026?
The Jaecoo 7, on 3,412 registrations according to the SMMT, just ahead of the Ford Puma on 3,369. It was the second month in a row at No.1.
What share of the UK car market do Chinese brands have?
More than 21% in October 2026, according to ChinaEVHome's analysis of SMMT data, down from 23.3% in September.
Which is the biggest Chinese car brand in the UK?
MG, with 7,837 registrations in October and 86,767 so far in 2026. BYD is second on 74,470 for the year. As a group, Chery's Jaecoo, Chery and Omoda brands registered almost 13,000 cars in October.
What share of new UK cars are electric?
Battery-electric cars took 32.0% in October 2026 (48,858 cars). The SMMT expects 27.2% for the full year, against a 33% ZEV mandate target.
