- A guide to the new car manufacturers coming to the UK
- List includes Xpeng, Aehra, Lucid, Zeekr, Seres, Hongqi and Rivian
- Aiming to rival established heavyweights
- Our automotive expert Steve Fowler explains all
I’ve been driving an Xpeng this week. A what? Yes, an Xpeng – and it’s about to join Omoda, Jaecoo and Build Your Dreams (BYD) in your local car showrooms this year in what is not only an onslaught of brands coming from the Far East, but new brands coming here from all over the world.
From the US we’ll eventually get Lucid’s super-efficient models (Lucid Air pictured below), while another US brand, Rivian, may also make it over here. Aehra is described as Italian/American, Vinfast comes from Vietnam, while judging by the excellence of the Tata and Mahindra models I drove in India recently, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were parked on your local high street sometime soon, too.
EVs with value
The Xpeng G6 I drove is a rival for the Tesla Model Y, which was Britain’s best-selling EV in 2024 – not a bad car to target, then. And it’s really rather good – like a Model Y with hindsight and better in many ways.
Where the Tesla’s ride is rock hard, the Xpeng is more comfortable; if you’ve heard rumours about iffy build quality in a Tesla, the Xpeng is way better; and if you want Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in your Tesla, you can’t – but you can in an Xpeng.
Omodas and Jaecoos are already bringing a strong value-for-money message to UK car buyers, while Build Your Dreams (thankfully shortened to BYD) has a strong tech story, not only with the advanced battery systems they use, but if you ever wanted a revolving screen in your car, then a BYD is for you.
All these brands have one thing in common – they all make electric cars. And there’s a whole host of new all-electric brands lining up for the UK.
Zeekr is owned by Geely, which has Volvo, Lotus, LEVC (which makes the London taxi) and Lynk & Co in its stable – and Lynk & Co is another brand that has been threatening to come to the UK ‘in the next few years’ for the past few years.
Seres has shown right-hand drive cars at motor shows recently, while Skywell has gone one better. I’ve driven a Skywell BE11 here in the UK and it’s on sale soon. Will you want one? Well, let's just say there are more polished competitors.
Which incoming brands could really impress?
I came back from the Shanghai motor show in 2023 – my first visit to China since before COVID hit – impressed with two new brands. Nio was one, with a strong community of eager fans who worship the brand’s founder William Li as well as the cars, which are excellent by the way (Nio EL6 pictured above).
Nio is already in Europe and sells its cars through Nio houses – community spaces housed in iconic buildings. Nios also have a cute ‘personal assistant’ called Nomi in all its cars, which allows you to message William Li to give direct feedback. And Nio’s budget Firefly and mid-range Onvo brands are also expected in Europe sometime soon.
The other brand I liked in Shanghai was Hi-Phi, owned by a company called Human Horizons. With a Brit as its engineering boss, these cars drove superbly and looked wild, with fancy doors and lights all over them – they were different and memorable. But with China’s ‘fail fast’ mentality, Hi-Phi (below) failed fast and was nowhere to be seen at last year’s Beijing auto show.
Exeed, Deepal, Aiways and Hongqi (pronounced Hong-shi) have also expressed an interest in coming to the UK, while MG – a very British brand with Chinese owners – is likely to be joined by parent company SAIC’s more upmarket IM brand.
Imminent arrivals include Leapmotor, with its budget T03 model that looks not unlike a Fiat 500 but will cost considerably less – starting at just £15,995. It’s going to be joined by the C10 SUV this year, too.
Haval is part of GWM (Great Wall Motors) which also brings Ora cars into the UK – remember the Funky Cat, now renamed the Ora 03? Haval is lining up the attractive Jolion Pro (below) – a hybrid Nissan Qashqai rival – with a starting price of £23,995.
Increased competition for the established brands
Where does all this leave the existing car brands we know and, sometimes, love? Let’s put it this way, the size of the cake isn’t likely to be getting any larger, but there will be more car companies looking for a slice. Sales for what have become known as legacy car brands are likely to be squeezed.
It remains to be seen if all will survive or if some will go the way of Rover and Saab and disappear completely or be like MG and be bought and reborn by another company.
When a new boss takes over at mega car company Stellantis, will they still want all its 14 brands? DS has always struggled, as has Lancia…
And just in case you have a hankering for something from the US and can’t wait for a Lucid or Rivian, and a Jeep isn’t for you, then Cadillac is returning (with the electric Lyriq SUV, below). Owner GM is not only heading into Formula One with the famous US luxury brand, but also back here with its cars, too.
Whatever next? Surely we’re overdue another claimed return for TVR, Bristol and Jensen?
** Steve Fowler is one of the UK’s best-known automotive journalists and currently EV Editor of The Independent and a regular contributor to The Guardian. He’s the only person to have edited three of the UK’s biggest car titles – Auto Express, Autocar and What Car? – and has interviewed the biggest names in the car world from Tesla’s Elon Musk to Ford’s Jim Farley. Steve has also presented documentaries for BBC Radio Four and is used as a resident ‘car guru’ on TV and Radio. He’s a World Car of the Year juror and a judge on both Germany’s and India’s Car of the Year Awards. Read more of Steve's work at stevefowler.co.uk.
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