Seven new car brands coming to the UK in 2025 including budget Renault rival and two-seater electric quadricycle
Brit motor-heads are scrambling to check this guide by
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Denza
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The Denza Z9GT of Chinese EV brand BYD
Credit: Reuters
Owned by Chinese EV giant BYD, this new brand is set to launch in the UK this year.
Denza has been around since 2010 - but now stands almost shoulder to shoulder with BYD as its premium sibling brand.
Originally a joint venture with Mercedes Benz's parents company - the firm is now owned in full by BYD.
The first of its cars headed for Europe is the Z9GT.
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This shooting brake comes either as a 925bhp EV or an 858bhp PHEV version.
Shortly after, a seven-seat MPV called the D9 will also release in the UK.
Although an official timeline hasn't been set, Denza will likely join the UK market by the end of this year.
Firefly
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The NIO model Firefly car
Credit: EPA
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This budget brand is another Chinese firm set to open up in the UK.
Most read in Motors
Owned by Nio, Firefly is an EV specialist whose first car will aim to rival the Renault 5.
The impressive supermini costs as little as £16,000 in China - and could be one of the cheapest EV's on the UK market.
Technical specifications such as power and range are yet to be released.
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But it's been speculated that the brand may use Nio's innovative swappable battery packs.
GAC
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The AION UT car
Credit: AFP
This brand might just be the biggest car maker that Brits have never heard of.
The joint-venture partner of Honda and Toyota owned by China is coming to the UK "very soon".
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COO Thomas Schemera confirmed that the launch would happen in the near
future
.
The first car to hit the UK will be the Aion UT - a hatchback billed as China's Mini, but is actually the same size Volkswagen ID 3.
The Aion V crossover, a Model Y rival will also launch shortly after.
Mobilize
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Mobilize Duo
Credit: www.mobilize.co.uk
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French brand Mobilize are looking to enter the "sub-A-segment" to challenge the likes of the Citroën Ami and Micro Microlino electric quadricycles.
Owned by Renault, the Mobilize Duo has been dubbed the French car giant's spiritual successor.
The big battery version can reportedly travel up to a whopping 100 miles.
And a van version of the car called the Bento gets rid of the single rear seat in exchange for more boot space.
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Onvo
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The Onvo L60 SUV
Credit: Reuters
Also parented by Nio, this Chinese brand was founded in 2024 but is already being compared to the likes of Tesla and Polestar.
The car is gearing up to land in the UK due to our lack of import tariffs on Chinese EVs.
The L60 will be the first car to arrive in the UK.
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Onvo called it the most aerodynamically efficient SUV on the entire market.
It will likely come with three BYD-supplied battery packs - the largest of which will offer a 620-mile range.
Yangwang
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The Yangwang U8 giant SUV
Credit: AFP
The prestigious Yangwang, also owned by BYD, will also be coming to the UK.
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Its biggest car - the mammoth Yangwang U8 SUV - should be on its way later this year.
This off-roader can turn on a sixpence thanks to its quad motors, makes 1180bhp and has a kerb weight of nearly 3,500kg.
It can also even float in water for up to half an hour.
The incredible design is a range-extender with four motors, a 49kWh battery and a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine working as a generator.
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Lepas
And finally this Chinese brand which owns Jaecoo and Omoda is also getting ready to launch its third brand, Lepas, into the UK.
Owned by Chery, the Tiggo 4 Pro from Lepas will rival the Dacia Duster when it comes to the UK this year.
It is already sold in right-hand drive markets like South Africa and Australia - with it costing about £13,000 down under.
But its low price may not remain that way once it is sold here.
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Jaecoo and Omoda's focus is large, semi-premium SUVs - while Lepas will be positioned more towards the higher value end of the market.
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BYD Sealion 7 review: Chinese electric SUV makes strong debut despite testing mishap
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Now, as sometimes happens with diary bookings this was a week where I had two cars for one reason or another and it was my intention to share the week between them, I was going to take one home to West Cork from my city lair and then come back later in the week and drive the other. Coming from Little Island to the city I noted the vast amount of tech on offer with the Sealion 7, its enthusiastic response to the throttle, excellent brakes, top drawer interior décor, and its spaciousness. When I got to my city base, I locked the car and went in home. At this point I was of the opinion it would be going west the following morning. Sadly, this was far from being the case. I was going to the local shop — on foot, as it happens — later that evening and as I walked past the car the lights suddenly came on. I thought: 'My God, those Chinese have technology in the car which recognises you as the most recent person to drive it, even if you haven't got the keys on you.' 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Having locked and unlocked the car again many times, I still could not solve the lights/infotainment screen situation and they remained doggedly on. In some desperation I sat back into the drivers' seat to recalibrate. Like many Chinese cars, there are few actual buttons and everything is largely controlled via the screen. But then I looked down and to my left and, to my horror, I saw a small start/stop button which had previously avoided my attention. What a prat. So, this was on one of those Chinese cars (or a Volvo EV, which has the same characteristics) which comes alive when your bum touches the seat and turns off when said bum departs. I'd got it terribly wrong and we were now looking at one of the shortest test drives in the history of Examiner Motoring. You may already know that BYD is now the fastest-selling EV brand in the world, shifting 4.2m of them last year. That's an impressive achievement considering that in 2020, it sold just 430,000 units. 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