UK Buyers Now Love This ‘Temu Range Rover’ More Than The Real Thing

Any Canadians wondering how this week’s deal with China on EVs might change the country’s automotive landscape only need look at the UK for a clue. Out of every 10 cars Brits now buy, one is Chinese, double the previous year’s share, and it’s no coincidence that their favorite is heavily inspired by one of the UK’s biggest four-wheel exports.

Related: One In Ten Cars Sold In The UK Now Comes From China

You might not even have heard of Chery’s Jaecoo brand, and neither had most British car buyers until 12 months ago when it made its UK debut. But it’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric.

By the end of 2025, Jaecoo had sold 28,000 vehicles, giving it a 1.4 percent market share, putting it ahead of established names like Honda, Citroen and Porsche, Bloomberg reports.

The wins don’t stop there. The brand’s most popular model, the 7 SUV, was the sixth best-selling car in the UK in December, finding more buyers than the new Mini Cooper, Tesla Model 3 and Nissan Juke. It also nosed ahead of the MG HS, another Chinese car, but one with the benefit of a British badge that drivers recognize.

It’s worth noting that in China, the same model is sold under the Chery brand with different names depending on the powertrain: Tansuo 06, Tiggo 7 High Energy, and Fulwin T6.

Buyers Love It, Reviewers Less So

And it’s pulled off these feats despite being slated in road tests by the UK’s car buying bible What Car?, which gave it just two stars out of five, warning readers that it was “best avoided.” Other respected magazines and websites came to similar conclusions.

So what’s the appeal? Jaecoo will tell you it’s the smart interior, extensive equipment list and long, seven-year warranty, which is double what many brands offer. And What Car? acknowledges all that, at the same time as hating on the ride, handling, performance, infotainment system and nannying safety systems.

Bargain-bin Range Rover

But for most buyers, one of the biggest draws is that they’re getting something that looks very similar to a Range Rover Evoque for around £14,000 ($19k) less than the real thing, which, unlike the 7, doesn’t feature in the top 10 list of best sellers.

See: Chinese Carmaker Tried Land Rover’s Viral Stairway Climb. It Didn’t End Well

As Bloomberg points out, the SUV has become so well-known for its bargain-basement luxury aesthetic that social media users have nicknamed it the “Temu Range Rover,” a jab at both its resemblance to the real thing and the kind of knockoffs the Chinese retail site is infamous for.

Power-wise, the entry-level 7 is hardly athletic. It runs a modest 1.6-liter petrol engine making just 143 hp (145 PS), but with a £30,115 starting price, it still looks like a lot of sheet metal for the money.

A bottom-rung petrol Evoque isn’t much more powerful, coming with 158 hp (160 PS), and it costs £44,755, which you can cut to £44,380 by going for the 163 hp (165 PS) diesel. Jaecoo also offers the 7 in SHS plug-in hybrid form for £35,165, and the newer, smaller, but similarly-styled Jaecoo 5 is £24,505, or just £27,505 as an EV.

Also: China’s Best Range Rover Clone Lives On And Costs Less Than A Civic

With those kinds of prices it’s no wonder Brits are willing to overlook some less than flattering reviews. And with those kinds of sales numbers, it’s no wonder Chery is reportedly considering building a UK plant.

But Jaecoo is far from the only Chinese brand making major inroads. BYD’s Seal U DM-i is the country’s best-selling plug-in and the automaker now commands a 2.5 percent share of the UK car market. China’s carmakers are rapidly changing the game, as Canada might well find out soon enough.

Jaecoo