Chinese vehicle market set to rise further

Following the SMMT’s announcement of record-breaking new car sales in the UK since before the COVID pandemic, it emerged that Chinese VMs played a significant role in this growth. They accounted for a 16.3% of new registrations in May 2026 – was this anticipated? What does this mean for the aftermarket? PMF spoke to GiPA’s Quentin Le Hetet to find out.

Q. What’s your take on this latest surge in new car registrations?

A. The growth was expected. Chinese VMs have consistently held over 10% of the new car registration market share every month since the start of 2026.

While this isn’t surprising when viewed monthly, I wouldn’t have believed it in 2022! Looking ahead, with more brands entering the market this year and 2027, we can expect the share of Chinese VMs to rise to 20 to 25 percent relatively soon.

Q. What impact will this have on the automotive aftermarket?

A. These cars will initially go to dealers. Only independent workshops with fleet business will see a significant volume of Chinese cars relatively quickly. For others, this will be anecdotal for another two to three years.

Q. What are the implications for parts availability technical data access and workshop readiness in the aftermarket?

A. Independent workshops working with fleets report difficulties sourcing certain parts and finding the right technical data. This is a potential challenge for the entire industry.

Q. Is there any evidence that European VMs are ‘fighting back’?

A. I believe the success of Chinese VMs is largely due to their value for money. European OEMs are now introducing models across different price ranges, but ‘fighting back’ is taking some time.