Stellar sales of this Jaecoo SUV come as Chinese cars account for nearly 25% of new car sales in the UK.
It seems that it is not just Malaysians who have taken a liking to the Jaecoo J7, as this Taobao Range Rover has recently become the UK’s best-selling new car. And better yet, this is actually the second month this year that it has managed this rather impressive feat.
According to preliminary figures released by industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 10,813 examples of the J7 (known as the Jaecoo 7 in the UK) were registered there this past month. This comfortably beats the Tesla Model 3’s 9,929 registrations, with the final podium place secured by the Ford Puma with 6,958 registrations.
This stellar sales success in September is actually a repeat performance, with the J7 having secured its maiden overall monthly sales victory back in March. All the more impressive then, considering that the Chinese automaker only entered the UK market with the J7 in January 2025.
Now, the reason for this rather sudden popularity could be pinpointed largely down to the attractive financing offers available for the J7 in the UK. Though having a rather convincing Range Rover-esque appearance is not exactly a disadvantage either, with there clearly being a sizeable group of buyers quite happy to have the look without having to pay the price.
In any case, Chinese manufacturers have been having a rather good time in the UK this past year, with Chinese-branded cars accounting for 23% of the UK market last month. BYD was also the second-best-selling brand overall, sitting only behind the mighty Volkswagen.
In other related news meanwhile, Chery has recently opened an R&D base at the UTAC Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire to help it better localise its cars for the UK market, with work there focusing on tuning driver assistance systems and chassis setups. The Chinese automaker has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Nissan about potentially building its cars at the Japanese firm’s factory in Sunderland, which could include the J7.
Getting back to a more local perspective, the success of the J7 in the UK is mirroring its commercial boom here in Malaysia. This Chinese SUV is now among the more popular models in its segment, with over 23,000 units already on Malaysian roads since its launch just two years ago.
The Jaecoo J7 is available locally in both ICE and PHEV flavours, with pricing ranging from RM 138,800 to RM 158,800.
