Whilst it may seem that almost all cars made in China are now on sale in the UK, some of the country’s most popular and cheapest models have still yet to go on sale.
As the UK considers putting tarifs on vehicles produced in China to protect national industry and western brands, the country plans to sell even more models to it’s export markets.
During 2023, the best-selling model in China was the ever-familiar Tesla Model Y, however the BYD Qin Plus came in at a very respectible third place.
Named after the Qin dynasty, the first lineage of Imperial China, the current version of this five-seater family saloon has been on the market since 2018.
Recently, BYD launched a plug-in hybrid version of the Qin Plus, using a 1.5-litre petrol engine and small EV battery, which is priced at a mere 79,800 yuan (£8,775).
Another model that is incredibly popular with Chinese motorists but has yet to arrive in the UK is the BYD Song, a large SUV that was the fourth best-selling car during 2023.
Facelifted in June 2023, the Song is available as a petrol, plug-in hybrid and as a fully electric vehicle with an impressive range of 376 miles.
However, whilst the BYD Song is currently unknown to most UK drivers, exports began in Mainland Europe, where the SUV is called the Seal U, in September 2023, with Brits set to get behind the wheel of one later in 2024.
Despite BYD being the most popular Chinese car brand, there are a wide variety of models from other companies that sell very well in the country, such as the Aion Y.
Priced at 104,600 yuan (£11,505), the fully-electric compact SUV has a maximum range of up to 373 miles and accelerate from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds.
The Aion also has a number of driver assistance features, including front collision warning, active braking and lane keep assist, in addition to three different steering modes.
However, not all Chinese-produced cars are from brands that UK motorists are largely unaware of, with the Volkswagen Lavida being another popular choice.
Using the same platform as more familiar models, such as the Volkswagen T-Roc and SEAT Ateca, the Lavida is a four-door saloon, a type of car that is still incredibly popular in China.
With prices beginning at around £12,000 for the basic 1.2-litre petrol version, the Lavida is exported to some other countries, however is unlikely to reach the UK as interest in conventional models such as saloons and estates dwindle.
