A top motoring expert has admitted it’s no secret Britons are flocking to Chinese cars, with the specialist revealing exactly why the UK is wowed by new brands. Motoring journalist Mat Watson, speaking on the launch of his new book ‘AUTOBiography: An A-Z Expose of Cars’, stressed that Chinese electric car brands were catering to exactly what consumers wanted.
He explained that luxury interiors packed with technology with a slightly premium feel were winning over consumers, even if European models are generally better to drive. Demand for Chinese models has surged in the UK in 2025, with brands such as BYD and Jaecoo breaking through to the mass-market.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Mat said: “I review quite a lot of Chinese cars and from the consumer point of view, they are a good thing. From just a basic viewpoint of a consumer, they are increasing choice, they are pushing prices down. The products that they do, they do a good job on design, they do a really good job on technology, they do a really good job on interior quality for the money.
“They’ve always been a little bit behind on driving dynamics, but they are getting better. For quite a lot of people, where you drive a car that looks good, that’s got all the tech that you need and that feels quite expensive inside, most people will overlook the fact they tail the European models in terms of driving dynamics because the deal is so good.”
Mat points out that Jaecoo has been a standout of 2025 with impressive sales figures for a debut product. In October, Jaecoo sales exceeded the Nissan Qashqai, one of the most popular cars in the UK, with 2,611 examples registered.
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data shows that over 21,000 Jaecoo models have now hit the road since January 2025. Meanwhile, BYD registered nearly seven times more new cars than Tesla in October, with 3,499 sales compared to just 511 for the American giant.
BYD has now overtaken Tesla in 2025, with the Chinese brand shipping 39,103 vehicles compared to Elon Musk‘s firm’s 35,455.
Mat added: “What I find with them, visually and interior design and quality, the very latest pens have a premium car feel to them. But you still get this disconnect when you drive them, they still feel like an everyday or a budget car dynamically. There’s this disconnect, it looks like an Audi but doesn’t suck itself to the road like an Audi would or a BMW would.
“So you have this disconnect with them, but then you remember the price and you think, ‘Really? Do I care at this price point?’”
After a 25-year career as a motoring journalist, Mat’s latest book covers his highly opinionated guide to all of the major manufacturers. Revealing his take on brands such as Aston Martin to Kia, BMW to Porsche, the A-Z guide covers all manner of hot topics and debates in the automotive world.
AUTOBiography: An A-Z Expose of Cars by Mat Watson is published by Century, is out now priced at £22.