Jaecoo 7 outsells Qashqai as Chinese brands build traction

The Jaecoo 7 outsold the Nissan Qashqai in the UK last month, highlighting the challenge posed to long-established competitors by the Chinese newcomer.

A total of 2611 examples of the 7 were registered in the UK in October, according to data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) on Wednesday, compared with 2461 Qashqais.

Although the Qashqai remains on top over the past three months, with 10,721 registrations, the 7 is close behind, at 10,467.

So far, 35,250 Qashqais have been registered in the UK in 2025, compared with 21,021 examples of the 7, which first hit UK roads in January.

But the 7’s current sales performance could put it in with a chance of making the UK’s top 10 best-seller list by the end of the year, which would be a remarkable outcome in the brand’s debut year. The Volvo XC40 currently sits in 10th place, with 25,106 registrations.

“The way that the Jaecoo 7 has been taken to by the UK public is truly humbling,” Oli Lowe, UK head of product for Jaecoo and sibling brand Omoda, told Autocar.

Lowe highlighted the car’s styling, competitive pricing and plug-in-hybrid powertrain – with an electric-only range of 56 miles – as key draws.

“On top of this, we have an extremely engaged and positive dealer network that have bought into the brand and are really enjoying the steady stream of new products,” said Lowe.

Meanwhile, the Renault 5 became the UK’s best-selling EV last month. Given that 49% of the brand’s 5385 sales in October were electric and that the 5 is its best-selling EV, that suggests it sold between 1500 and 2000 examples of the small hatchback.

Adam Wood, managing director of Renault UK, said it is “clear evidence that public attitudes to electric cars are changing”.

Wood added that it was thanks to Renault now having its “best-ever” range of EVs, as well as a boost in interest from the introduction of the government’s Electric Car Grant. Indeed, all of Renault’s electric cars – the 4, 5, Megane and Scenic – qualify for a £1500 discount under the ECG scheme.

“The route to 80% electric registrations by 2030 [as required by the zero-emission vehicle mandate] remains challenging, but the key is that all stakeholders – manufacturers, government and charge point providers – continue to work together to build positive momentum,” said Wood.

A total of 144,948 new cars were registered in the UK in October, an improvement of 0.5% on the same month last year. EVs and PHEVs made big gains of 23.6% and 27.2% respectively, while sales of petrol and diesel cars both slumped. 

However, any growth could be undone by the government’s decision to crack down on the employee car ownership scheme (ECOS), the SMMT warned. 

The ECOS allows employees of car manufacturers and dealers to buy new cars at bargain prices, selling the car back after around six months or 6000 miles to be replaced with another car. This incentive accounts for around 100,000 sales every year, but killing it could lose the industry more than £1 billion in revenue and throttle sales of used cars, said the SMMT.