Mat Watson: These are the most exciting new Chinese cars coming to the UK in 2026 – Carwow
January 16, 2026 by Jamie Edkins
Chinese cars are getting more popular by the day, and there are plenty of new ones coming out this year. Here are some of the cars Mat is most excited about.
A few years ago, Chinese cars were a very rare sight on our roads. In 2026, some of the best-selling cars on the road are from Chinese brands like Jaecoo and BYD. The cars aren’t only getting more popular, they’re also getting better.
Our Car Of The Year for 2026 was the Chery Tiggo 8, and there are loads of new and exciting Chinese cars making their way to UK roads this year. Here are seven which I’m particularly looking forward to driving.
My most exciting Chinese cars of 2026 are:
This is the new Geely Starray, a plug-in hybrid SUV with suspension tuning from Lotus. A common criticism I have of Chinese cars is lacklustre handling, so this could end up being an exception to the rule.
Deputy reviews editor Tom Wiltshire had a brief go in the Starray around Geely’s development centre in China, and his first impressions were positive. It’s also loaded with tech, and it’ll cost less than £30,000 when it goes on sale in the first half of 2026.
Denza is a spin-off brand from the car making giant that is BYD, it’s a bit like what Genesis is to Hyundai. It’s more focussed on premium luxury cars, and the Z9 GT has a lot of promise on paper.
It’s a 1,000hp electric car which will do 0-60mph in just 3.4 seconds, half a second quicker than the most powerful BMW i5 Touring. A plug-in hybrid version will also be available with 920hp from a 2.0-litre petrol engine and three electric motors.
This cute little hatchback is the Nio Firefly. It’s already available in some European countries, but it’ll also be coming to the UK this year. It’s a small electric car with around 200 miles of range from a 42kWh battery, and it’s expected to cost less than £30,000.
The interior looks almost as cool as the exterior, with light leather and a minimalistic design. I’d like a few more physical buttons, but I’ll hold out judgement until I can get hands-on with the Firefly.
The new Omoda 7 may cause a spot of confusion when it launches in showrooms this year, because it shares a name and parts with the Jaecoo 7 and Chery Tiggo 7 which will be offered in the same dealers.
It’s a plug-in hybrid SUV with Lexus-espque styling and 56 miles of electric-only range. Prices start from £32,000, making it a damn sight cheaper than cars like the Volkswagen Tiguan.
This may look like a Volkswagen Golf, but it’s actually the new Leapmotor B05 – an electric hatchback which will go on sale in the UK in 2026. Prices are expected to start from under £30,000, and it could have up to 300 miles of range.
Exact specs haven’t been announced yet, but you can expect this car to share parts with the Leapmotor B10 SUV. This means it could have a 218hp electric motor powering the front wheels, and 0-60mph should take less than 8.0 seconds.
Xpeng is launching an alternative to the Volkswagen ID7 this year, the P7+. It has similar front-end styling to Xpeng’s G6 SUV, and the interior looks pretty similar to that car as well. This means it should have slick software and good build quality.
There will be a single-motor rear-wheel drive model with up to 341 miles of range, and a 497hp dual-motor car is also coming. The 573-litre boot is also 50 litres up on the ID7, so it should be hugely practical.
Another new brand is launching in the UK this year: Aion. It’s starting off with the Aion V SUV, and news editor Jamie Edkins has spent some time poking around this car. The interior is really well-made and hugely spacious, and you can even fold the seats flat to make a bed.
It uses a front-mounted motor with 204hp, and this is fed by a 75kWh battery to deliver up to 317 miles of range. I’ve not had the chance to drive it yet, but Aion says the suspension has been tuned specifically for UK roads so I’m looking forward to putting it to the test in the next few months.
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