Brands From China In The UK : 2025 (Jan -Oct)

The UK has seen a sudden rush of new Chinese brands entering the market. MG has been around since the demise of MG Rover but only reached five digit volume in 2019. 

The list to the right has UK ranking, market share and increase or decrease of market share which compares 10 months of 2025 with 12 months of 2024. 

The list covers brands that exclusively source cars from China so the 8.9% would be lower than the full number of cars sourced from there. 

MG has an advantage of being well established before the recent invasion but with market share down slightly they may be feeling the impact of the new arrivals. BYD is its usual aggressive self and the rest have arrived in 2024 or 2025, the latter shows a 'n/a'. 

I have yet to investigate other European markets but the UK would seem to have far more Chinese brands doing well. The EU has imposed tariffs on electric cars due to their claim of unfair subsidies. The UK isn't doing the same. I wonder how Nissan Leaf sales will go in the UK, as it is produced there and doesn't need unfair competition. 

For others in the series: Singapore. New Zealand.

Photo source: MG (HS), BYD (Dolphin Surf) & Nissan (Leaf).

Greece Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Registrations were up 11% in October and 4% YTD. This is a good year economically, which is being reflected in car sales. 

Toyota has 15.5% market share and comfortably the leading brand. Japanese models are highlighted in pink and do well at the top of the Top 50 while in fact they have just 12 models listed, the majority Toyotas. 

Europe has 29 models with Peugeot the most successful brand from that region. Opel too is a popular brand.

The two other regions (countries) are Korea (6 models) and the US (3). 

Data source: SEAA. 

Photos: Toyota (Yaris) & Nissan (Qashqai).

Czechia Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Registrations were up 11% in October and up 7% YTD. Electric cars make up 5.5% of the total but is growing. Electric hybrid represent just over 4%. Petrol is 67.5% and diesel 20%.

Of the nearly 206,000 cars sold so far, nearly 1,500 are categorised as 'not found', so they do not make the list to the right.

The eagle eyes among you will have noticed that the local brand Škoda is well represented at the top end of this ranking. Well spotted. The brand accounts for 34% of all sales.

Hyundai and Kia do well here, both manufacturing in the area. Toyota and VW are also popular, along with Dacia.

Data source: SDA.

Photo source: VW (Golf) & Ford (Kuga) Czech R.

Romania Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Registrations are rallying in the second half of the year with an 11% in October. YTD, it is still down 4% but being turned around. 

The poor sales earlier were something to do with the rolling back of a scrappage scheme.

The colour coding of the chart shows that Europe (green) provides the most models in the Top 50. 

Dacia is the local brand and it is very popular. The top three places are occupied by Dacia models and they are well ahead of the chasing pack.

Data source: DGPCI.

Photo source: Dacia (Logan) & Toyota (RAV4) Romania.

Brands From China In Singapore : 2025 (Jan -Oct)

I did the same thing with NZ recently, which can be viewed by clicking here. The total isn't much different but the 'MS' or market share is very much so.

BYD has raced to the top of the market, In 2021 it was the 31st most popular brand and now well ahead of the others and has 20% of the market. It has left Toyota/Lexus in its wake, which is not something that happens.  

No other brand is in the top 10 but those increases in the +/- column indicate that could soon change. The n/a means they are new in 2025. It's like a swarm of locusts. 

With 30% of total sales now taken and done so quickly that the sky is the limit. Looking at the other brands, they all seem to have been affected. 

For the UK, simply click here. 

Data source: LTA Singapore.

Photos: BYD (Seal) & GAC (Aion V). 

Argentina Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Registrations for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles were up 17% in October and an impressive 55% YTD. The upsurge comes after a low 2024 and government measures designed to stimulate the economy. 

By colour coding, we see that European models (green) are the most popular with 30 in the Top 50. US (12) and Japanese (7) make up the rest, bar one. 

Data source: SIOMAA & a few estimates.

Picture sources: Fiat (Fastback) & VW (Tera). 

Brazil Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Registrations for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles were down 1% in October but up 3% YTD. That is very stable data. 

Looking down the list, the mixture of colours shows the diversity of the market. Not having a local brand to support adds to that. 

Europe is strong but so too is the USA and increasingly China. Japan is not far off the pace but apart from two models, Korea is not represented. 

The leading model is the Fiat Strada, which is a small leisure vehicle/pick uptruck. The VW Polo and Chevrolet Onix are tussling it out for second the spot.

Brazil has recently increased tariffs on imported electric cars, designed to encourage local assembly. I could see that being advantageous for some other countries to do something similar.

Data source: Fenebrave.

Photos: Fiat (Strada) & GM (Onix) Brasil. 

Italy Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Registrations were down 1% in October and 3% down YTD so steady as she goes. 67,600 electric cars were sold for the ten months YTD and 80,150 plug in hybrid cars. That represents 5% and 6% respectively.

Colour coding reveals that while European brands are a common sight on Italian stradas, there are plenty of cars from other regions.

Fiat used to be so dominant here but now struggles to maintain its top spot overall. At least for models, the Panda saves the day with nearly 90,000 sales. That is 72% of total Fiat registrations in Italy.

The Dacia Sandero retains second place and the Jeep Avenger a very high third. I was surprised to see the BYD Seal U making the chart but the times they are a changin'.DR has a model down the list. It is an Italian firm that assembles Chinese made models.

Data source: UNRAE.

Photo source: Jeep (Avenger) & DR (DR.5).

Netherlands Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Passenger car registrations were up 8% in October but down 1% YTD. In October, hybrid cars (PHEV) reached nearly 47% share and electric cars (BEV) 40%.

A change in bijtelling, or a company car tax, is helping push up PHEV and BEV sales leading up to January 2026 when the change takes place.

Government incentives coming and going affect the car industry. It often ends up creating spikes and slumps in registrations.

Colour coding shows that European models are popular but not as much as many other European markets.

Kia is a surprising top brand in the Netherlands. It has three of the top four models. I do prefer them to Hyundai's and they do here too.

Korean models have nine of the Top 50 and Japan only six which is unusual outside of Korea. The US does reasonably well with five models. 

Data source: Bovag.

Photo source: Kia (EV3) and Tesla (Model Y) Nederland.

Finland Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Passenger car registrations were up 5% in October but down 2% YTD. For October, 36% per cent were fully electric which was 17% higher than one year earlier.

Through colour coding, we see that while European models are the most popular, there are a reasonable number of Japanese, Korean and US models as well. 

They have a soft spot for Toyota's in Finland, with the top four models from that company. 

Toyota has had success with rallying in Finland, a sport popular in the region. The term Flying Finns applies to their success and at times, literally flying too!

Data source: Traficom.

Photos: Toyota (Yaris) above & Kia (C'eed) below.

Sweden Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Passenger car registrations were down 4% in October but up 4% YTD. For the the year, electric cars accounted for 35.5% of sales and hybrids 27%.

Colour coding helps to identify where the various models hail from. Europe is the predominant source for cars, with a few Japanese and Korean models.

Seeing as electric cars sell strongly here, it is noticable that Chinese models are absent. I assume Swedes are cautious about unfamiliar brands. 

Volvo and VW are the two most popular brands and they feature toward the top end of the Top 50 list. Toyota and Kia have some success here. 

Data source: Mobility Sweden.

Photo source: Volvo (XC60) & VW (ID.7).

An Entitled Workforce

My grandfather worked his way up in a company to management level in the UK. Having been a worker and in management, he had a perspective on both sides, yet he would often say "The working man's enemy is the working man himself". 

JLR has recently had to contend with tariffs put in place in its largest market. It was more recently hit by a cyber attack that really hurt the company financially. You would think common sense would prevail and the current situation JLR is facing would temper wage increase expectations. 

A pay offer has just been submitted by the company and the trade unions recommended its acceptance. 7,724 workers rejected the offer, with 2,129 accepting it. This is a short sighted, self centred reaction from the majority of the workers. 

I recently wrote an article on the subject generally, which can be read by clicking here. So back to the negotiating table. I would have thought the best thing for JLR would now be to start planning to move all its production off shore. They could make vehicles just about anywhere else at a lower cost. 

The industry is facing increased competition and JLR is under pressure like many other car makers. A shout out to the trade unions for showing some common sense, and the 2,129 workers who are seeing the bigger picture. As for the rest, you are your own worst enemy. 

Brands From China In NZ : 2025 (Jan -Oct)

New Zealand has an open car market so any brand can set up shop here. Chinese brands have been arriving, with local car magazine NZ Autocar having many articles about all these new models that are coming in. This article here covers passenger cars only, not light commercial vehicles which would add a few more brands. 

The question is just how successful will this new wave of Chinese entrants be? 

Apart from a few brand names, they are unfamiliar although that doesn't appear to be an issue for some punters. One thing they offer is value for money and that will be enough for such ones to take the plunge. Long warranties help too.

Others with a more cautious approach will stick to the brands they already know and trust. I am of this persuasion. It's a lot of money to take any risk on.

The chart shows what the current situation is. Those listed come to 10,300 registrations and 12.7% of the total sales YTD. The Rk number is where they are on the chart with all brands included.

The top ranked brand is MG, which started selling in reasonable numbers back in 2019 and is currently sitting in 7th place. Its market share is up 23% on its total 2024 figure.

Haval's break out year was 2018 and it holds 10th spot with a 10% market share gain and 4.3% market share. Ora arrived in 2023 but the rest were either 2024 or this year, n/a shows the 2025 arrivals.

For now, it seems that Chinese brands will not be knocking off the top brands. They will take some sales from them, but will take many from each other as well. Dealerships will spread further across the country which is an important part of maximising sales, improving brand visibility and a more comprehensive customer support network. All that helps a brand's image.

Several more brands will soon be here, creating a congested market place for what is a overall a modestly sized market. Some suggest there will be casualties, be that the new Chinese brands or some existing ones from elsewhere. 

Who survives would depend largely on whether importers can make a profit and feel the effort is worth it. What is certain is Kiwis are spoiled for choice when contemplating buying a new car.

For others in the series: Singapore. The UK.

Data source: NZTA. Photo source: BYD (Sealion 6) top & Chery (Tiggo 8) below.

Spain Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Registrations were up 16% in October and up 15% YTD. For the ten months so far, BEV and PHEV market share is 19%, up from 11% in 2024. 

The local brands are SEAT and Cupra but it is a very diverse market with many brands vying for leadership. 

The Dacia Sandero has a huge lead on the rest of the models and is the fifth most popular brand in Spain. The MG ZS is the second most popular model with the brand at tenth. 

Toyota is the top selling brand with sales spread among several popular models. Renault is the second ranked brand with the Clio leading the way. 

A few Chinese brand names are appearing on the list and surely that will increase. 

Data source: ANFAC.  

Photos source: Dacia (Sandero Stepway) & MG (ZS).

France Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Passenger car sales were up 2.9% in October but down 5.4% YTD. Hybrid market share has gone from 41% to 51% of the total, with electric cars up from 17% to 19% share. 

In October Stellantis and Group Renault both have 26% market penetration. YTD it is 29% and 27% respectively.

To the right we have the usual colour coded chart showing the best selling passenger car models and which region they are associated with.

There is no surprise that French brands and those owned by them are doing well. In addition, both the Yaris and Yaris Cross are also made in France. 

Data source: CCFA.

Photo source: Citroen (ë-C3) & Nissan (Qashqai) France.

Estonia Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

Registrations were down 53% in October and down 43% YTD. Taxes applied to cars from 2025 caused a spike in sales in late 2024, followed by the inevitable slump. 

Toyota, Škoda and VW are the three leading brands here and that shows in the chart to the right. They each have seven models in the top 50. 

By colour coding the list, it quickly becomes apparent where the brands hail from. 34 are from Europe (green), 12 are from Japan (blue) and the other 4 are from the rest of Asia.

Data source: Data source: Transpordiamet.

Photos: Toyota Estonia (Corolla) & Škoda Estonia (Kodiac). 

Germany Top 50 Models: 2025 (Jan-Oct)

There were 250,133 passenger cars registered in Germany in October, up 7.8%. YTD the total was 2,360,481, up just 0.5%. Going in the right direction.

101,598 were a hybrid or PHEV, achieving a market share of 40.6%. 52,425 were electric or (BEV), securing a market share of 21.0%.  As for fossil fuel cars, 64,706 passenger cars were petrol and 30,462 diesel.

The chart is colour coded to show where the brand originates. Green is Europe and that covers 92% of the list. 

VW has 19.9% of total sales, so no surprise that it is a regular contributor to the top 50 list. It has 13 models in total. The Tayron is pictured above.

BMW has seven models, Mercedes-Benz six and Audi four. Porsche misses out. Škoda is owned by VW and that helps its popularity, with seven models making the list. 

Opel has just under 5% market share but still managed a #4 ranking with the Corsa (photo below). Toyota is not a popular brand here, with 2.9% market share and one model in the top 50. 

Data source: KBA.

Photo source: VW & Opel.