Chinese cars makers are increasing their presence on UK roads at an unprecedented rate.
Sales figures show more than one in ten passenger car sales in the three months to September were Chinese models as popularity soars amid the arrival of a flurry of new brands offering a catalogue of enticingly affordable vehicles.
Market intelligence analyst Schmidt Automotive Research says Chinese companies are tightening their stronghold on Britain’s new car market at ‘rapid pace’, doubling market share year-on-year to disrupt the status quo of European, Korean and Japanese manufacturers.
Tens of thousands of Britons have already shunned the common stigmas associated with the East Asian nation and its products to snap up an estimated £19billion worth of Chinese-made motors since 2020 for a variety of reasons – not least value for money against the established mainstream but their high equipment levels and impressive tech.
But another factor at play is that Chinese vehicles often bear a resemblance to aspirational luxury cars that are typically out of reach of the majority of motorists with more modest budgets.
Earlier this week, the Daily Mail and This is Money spoke to owners of the Jaecoo 7 – the family car that’s become the best-selling Chinese motor in Britain and placed among the 10 most-bought new models in August, September and October.
With its £30,000 starting price and swanky looks, it has been dubbed the ‘Temu Range Rover’, with influencers in particular taking to social media platforms to praise the classy cut-price vehicle.
We’ve picked out six Chinese cars – either already on sale in the UK or due to be shortly – that have a striking likeness to a premium product from a legacy name. But they’re not always significantly cheaper alternatives, as another example proves…
1. Omoda 4: The Temu Lamborghini
Price difference: circa £175,000
Omoda in October unveiled its new stylish 4 compact SUV. Instantly, people said it looked like one specific premium motor that’s loved by footballers…
The Omoda’s sharp angular headlight clusters and wide air intakes in the lower bumper are reminiscent of the Urus. Though the Omoda 4 is a smaller, greener and cheaper product
Omoda – the sister brand to Jaecoo – last month unveiled its forthcoming sporty SUV called the 4… and people quickly made the comparison to one particular performance model.
Its angular and aggressive exterior design – especially the front bumper and nose of the vehicle – have a likeness to the Lamborghini Urus, a super-SUV that’s become a huge favourite of Premier League footballers.
But even though the Omoda might look like a Lambo, it will be a very different proposal when it arrives in showrooms next year.
While the Urus is a hulking £208,000 rocketship powered by a 789bhp, 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine, the Omoda 4 is a compact crossover to rival the Nissan Juke sold with either a small petrol engine or electric power.
The combustion variant will use a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, while the EV will likely share the 61kWh battery and drivetrain with the existing Omoda 5, which has an official range up to 257 miles.
As such, the 4 is going to be considerably cheaper than an Urus, expected to ring in at around £25,000 (for the petrol) from 2026.
2. Zeekr 9X: The Temu Rolls-Royce
Price difference: circa £300,000
The Zeekr 9X by the Geely-owned Chinese automaker is a rival to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Range Rover but will cost around the same as a family SUV at just £50k
Left: From the front, it looks rather like another luxury SUV… and it’s huge: at 5.3 metres, it’s longer than a Range Rover. Right: The Rolls-Royce Cullinan: It’s not hard to see the visual influence it’s given the Zeekr 9X
Left: Zeekr’s move into the ultra-luxe car market will cause established high end Western marques some concern, as Chinese influence in automotive continues to grow overseas. But the Cullinan (right) – a luxurious SUV loved by the rich and famous – starts from over £350k but customers usually pay a lot more for a bespoke creation
As well as cut-price luxury, the Zeekr 9X has some insane performance for such a massive car, managing 0 to 62mph in just 3 seconds
The Zeekr 9X is a Chinese luxury car looking to tempt Britons into ditching traditionally popular premium marques like Audi, BMW and Mercedes with its significantly cheaper price tag.
Read More: Six Chinese car that are cheaper ‘Temu’ alternatives to luxury favourites from