Chinese cars: all the brands you need to know about
There’s a new wave of Chinese cars coming to the UK, while others are already here. We take a look at the different brands and the models they offer...
It’s already starting to feel as if Chinese cars have become part of the furniture on the UK roads. According to official figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), nearly 100,000 new Chinese-made cars were sold in the UK last year – about 5% of the overall market.
However, this is just the beginning, with a whole range of new companies and sub-brands vowing to enter the market in the next 12 months with a wide range of new and, in most cases, affordable models set to compete with alternatives from well-known brands.
Which Chinese brands are on the way, however, and are their cars any good? In this guide, we share the Chinese car companies that are already selling their models in the UK, those that are coming soon, and those which already have a foothold on the car market by owning, or part-owning, European brands. Most of the models you see here are Chinese electric cars, but there are a number of petrol and plug-in hybrid models too.
Are Chinese cars about to get more expensive?
Chinese electric cars have historically been able to undercut their rivals on price, because they've benefitted from subsidies from the Chinese Government. However, a growing number of countries and authorities have recently introduced tariffs on cars being imported from the country.
These include the European Commission, who currently enforce a variable tariff depending on the EU’s estimates of how much of each company is owned by the Chinese Government, with a maximum possible charge of 45.3%. Whilst no company has faced the maximum amount yet, MG owner SAIC is currently hit with the highest rate, at 35.3%. The US and Canada have both introduced even stricter tariffs, with all Chinese electric vehicles subject to a 100% tax in a bid to protect local industry.
Discussions with the Chinese Government are ongoing, which means these tariffs may be reconsidered. However, the UK Government has no confirmed plans to introduce similar measures in order to ensure good relations with export markets.
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