Chinese challengers gain ground in Autotrader's July new car rankings ahead of September plate change

MGS9 tops Autotrader’s all-fuel new car rankings in July to date, ahead of the MG HS and Jaecoo 7
Renault 5 E-Tech Electric leads electric model ranking, as Electric Car Grant-supported hatchback continues to cut through with buyers
Average new car discounts soften in July, while visits to Autotrader’s new car platform rose 11% year-on-year last quarter

New data from Autotrader points to an increasingly competitive new car market ahead of September’s plate change, with Chinese-brand models taking five places in its top 10 most-enquired new cars in July to date. While challenger brands are gaining visibility with in-market buyers, established manufacturers continue to account for a significant share of demand, particularly in electric.

The data comes as retailers prepare for one of the most important moments in the new car retail calendar, with visits to Autotrader’s new car platform up 11% year-on-year last quarter and advertised new car stock currently 16% higher than the same point last year, suggesting both buyer interest and retailer readiness are building ahead of September.

Chinese-brand models gain visibility in July rankings

Across all fuel types, the MGS9 has generated the highest share of new car enquiries on Autotrader so far this month, accounting for 5.8% of leads sent through the platform. It was followed by the MG HS with a 3.5% share and the Jaecoo 7 with 3.0%.

In total, five Chinese-brand models featured in the top 10, with the Jaecoo 5 ranking ninth with a 1.6% share of enquiries and Chery’s Tiggo 8 completing the list with 1.5%.

At brand level, MG also led the overall new car rankings with a 13.3% share of enquiries, ahead of BMW on 10.2% and Audi on 7.9%. Jaecoo and Chery also appeared in the top 10, ranking sixth and ninth respectively.

The figures point to rising buyer interest in specific Chinese-brand models but should not be read as evidence of a wider market shift at the same scale.

Established brands remain highly competitive in electric

Indeed, Autotrader’s electric new car rankings show the market is far from a one-way shift towards Chinese brands. MG is the most-enquired electric brand in July to date, with a 9.7% share, but European, Korean and US manufacturers still account for seven of the top 10, including Renault, Kia, BMW, Hyundai, Audi, Ford, and Tesla.

At model level, the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is leading the electric rankings with a 5.5% share of enquiries. Supported by the full Electric Car Grant, which was introduced just over a year ago, its performance underlines the continued importance of affordability in helping more attainable EVs cut through with buyers. The Jaecoo 5 ranked second among electric models with a 4.2% share, followed by the BMW iX3 with 3.9%. Ford’s Explorer and Hyundai’s INSTER completed the top five.

Retailers prepare for September as discounts soften

Average new car discounts have softened in July, decreasing to 10.3% across all fuel types. Although still above July 2025 levels, when the average stood at 9.4%, the month-on-month easing suggests pricing remains competitive, but less heavily supported than earlier in the summer.

The trend is similar for electric models, where average discounts have reduced from 11.6% last month to 11.3% in July to date.

The latest data points to a new car market that is becoming increasingly competitive as we approach the September plate change. Chinese-brand models are gaining traction, with five appearing in our July top 10, but it’s important to keep that in context. Established brands continue to account for a significant share of demand, particularly in electric, where the rankings remain highly competitive.

Key spokesperson

Bex Kennett

Head of New Car Performance

CONNECT

“For retailers, the key point is that buyer attention is becoming more fragmented. Compelling products, competitive pricing and the right stock mix will be especially important in the run-up to September. Encouragingly, visits to our new car platform were up year-on-year last quarter and advertised stock is also ahead of last year, pointing to a healthy pipeline of activity building ahead of the plate change. With discounts also softening in July, the market remains competitive, but less heavily supported than earlier in the summer.”

Most in-demand new car electric models on Autotrader in July 2026 ranked by enquiries/leads.

Rank

Make

Model

Share of enquiries

Renault

5 E-Tech Electric

5.5%

Jaecoo

4.2%

BMW

iX3

3.9%

Ford

Explorer

3.3%

Hyundai

INSTER

3.1%

Suzuki

e Vitara

3.0%

Alpine

A290

2.7%

Kia

PV5

2.6%

MG4 Urban

2.3%

Skoda

Elroq

2.2%

Most in-demand new car electric brands¹ on Autotrader in July 2026 ranked by enquiries/leads.

Rank

Make

Share of enquiries

9.7%

Renault

6.5%

Kia

6.3%

BMW

5.8%

Hyundai

5.3%

Audi

4.8%

BYD

4.8%

Ford

4.3%

Jaecoo

3.9%

Tesla

3.5%

Most in-demand new car models on Autotrader in July 2026 ranked by enquiries/leads – all fuel types.

Rank

Make

Model

Share of enquiries

MGS9

5.8%

MG HS

3.5%

Jaecoo

3.0%

Land Rover

Range Rover Sport

2.8%

Volkswagen

Golf

2.7%

Land Rover

Defender 110

1.9%

BMW

1.7%

Vauxhall

Corsa

1.7%

Jaecoo

1.6%

Chery

Tiggo 8

1.5%

Most in-demand new car brands on Autotrader in July 2026 ranked by enquiries/leads – all fuel types.

Rank

Make

Share of enquiries

13.3%

BMW

10.2%

Audi

7.9%

Land Rover

7.3%

Volkswagen

7.2%

Jaecoo

5.7%

Skoda

3.3%

Hyundai

3.1%

Chery

2.9%

Ford

2.9%

¹Based on brands’ electric models only

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