The new car brands coming to the UK
Confused by all the new cars coming to the UK? Let Autocar guide you through the who, what, where and when
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4 mins read
8 May 2025
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If you’re a regular Autocar reader, you’ve probably clocked the growing parade of new car brands eyeing up the UK.
Two big forces are behind this surge: the meteoric rise of China’s car industry and a shift in what buyers care about.
In 2024 alone, China sold 23.5 million new cars – making it the largest car market on the planet. It was only a matter of time before Chinese car manufacturers set their sights on the UK.
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Some of Europe’s legacy brands are still gearing up for the 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars, but China has been deep into the electric car game for years. And the results are starting to speak for themselves. Some of the new Chinese EVs now rival the best Europe can offer, something that would’ve been unthinkable a decade ago.
Just look at Tesla. It proved that a strong EV game can take a brand from startup to global heavyweight. Case in point: the Tesla Model Y was the UK’s best-selling EV in 2024.
What’s coming next? Keep scrolling – the next wave of cars is coming fast.
Denza
Nationality: Chinese
Parent company: BYD
Denza has been around since 2010 and today finds itself marketed as a premium sibling brand of global giant BYD.
It was originally a joint venture with the parent company of Mercedes-Benz but is now entirely BYD-controlled.
Its first car bound for Europe, the Z9 GT (pictured), is a shooting brake that comes as a 925bhp EV or an 858bhp PHEV.
This will be followed by a seven-seat MPV called the D9 shortly after.
An official timeline is yet to be set, but Denza will likely come to the UK at the end of this year or in early 2026.
Firefly
Nationality: Chinese
Parent company: Nio
Firefly is Chinese EV specialist Nio’s new budget offering.
Its first car for the UK will be a Renault 5 rival that’s priced from as little as £16,000 in China.
The supermini will almost definitely cost more here but could still be one of the cheapest electric cars on the market.
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Technical specifications (and therefore power and range) are still to be confirmed, but it’s thought the brand may use Nio’s swappable battery packs.
GAC
Nationality: Chinese
Parent company: Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group
GAC is perhaps one of the largest car makers you’ve never heard of.
It’s a joint-venture partner of Honda and Toyota owned by the Chinese state, and it’s coming to the UK “very soon” according to COO Thomas Schemera.
The first cars coming to the UK will be the Aion UT (pictured), a hatchback billed as China’s Mini but which is in fact Volkswagen ID 3 sized, and the Aion V crossover, a Model Y rival.
Lepas
Nationality: Chinese
Parent company: Chery
Jaecoo and Omoda parent Chery is gearing up to launch its third brand in the UK.
The Dacia Duster rivalling Tiggo 4 Pro will likely be redbadged as a Lepas and is set to come to the UK this year.
It’s already sold in right-hand drive markets such as South Africa and Australia and in the latter it’s sold for the equivalent of £13,000. But don’t expect it to be so cheap once it arrives in the UK.
Jaecoo and Omoda’s focus is large, premium-ish SUVs, whereas Lepas will be positioned more towards the value end of the market.
Mobilize
Nationality: French
Parent company: Renault Group
Renault’s new urban mobility brand is entering the ‘sub-A-segment’ to take on the likes of the Citroën Ami and Micro Microlino electric quadricycles.
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The Mobilize Duo (pictured) is very Twizy-like; it would be fair to describe it as the little Renault’s spiritual successor.
Mind you, it has airbags and the big-battery version is apparently good for 100 miles.
A van version, called the Bento, trades the single rear seat for more boot space.
Onvo
Nationality: Chinese
Parent company: Nio
Onvo was only founded in 2024 but is already pitching itself as a Tesla and Polestar rival.
The Nio-owned company is coming to the UK before the EU because of our lack of import tariffs on Chinese-built EVs.
The L60 will be the first car to hit the UK. Onvo describes it as the most aerodynamically efficient SUV on the market.
It will likely be available with three BYD-supplied battery packs, the largest of which will offer a 620-mile range, according to China’s generous CLTC test cycle.
Yangwang
Nationality: Chinese
Parent company: BYD
This brand sounds like it’s lifted from a Mitchell and Webb sketch, but its first car heading to the UK is butcher than Terry Butcher.
It’s another prestige brand of BYD, and its largest car, the gargantuan Yangwang U8 SUV, should be en route later this year.
The off-roader can turn on a sixpence thanks to quad motors, can float in water for up to 30 minutes, makes 1180bhp and has a kerb weight of nearly 3500kg.
Oh, and it’s not even an EV but a range-extender with four motors, a 49kWh battery and a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine working as a generator.
