Jaecoo 7 turning heads in January as new car interest builds in plate change anticipation
New car interest in 2026 is off to a solid start, with the volume of visits to Autotrader’s new car platform rising 6% month-on-month (MoM), as anticipation builds ahead of March’s new ‘26’ registration plate. Grabbing the most attention so far this month is the Jaecoo 7, which tops the list as the UK’s hottest brand-new car, accounting for 3.8% of all new car enquiries sent through Autotrader.
The success of Jaecoo’s SUV (featuring either a petrol or hybrid engine), proves that new entrant brands from China have been able to make headway in the UK market with a range of fuel types. Such is the interest among new car buyers, it managed to beat true British icons to the top spot: Land Rover’s Range Rover (3.7% share), Range Rover Sport (3.4%), and the Defender 110 (3.0%).
As a brand though, Jaecoo still has some way to go to knock the most established brands from their perch; it currently sits in a very respectable sixth position, accounting for 5.4% of all new car enquiries. The market stalwarts, BMW (9.3%), and Audi (9.3%) are the second and third most popular new car brands on Autotrader, whilst Land Rover is currently commanding almost three times (13.3%) the number of enquiries.
Popular supermini rises up the electric rankings
Looking at new electric models, the Renault 5 E-Tech has started the year strongly by becoming the most popular new electric model amongst consumers. The reimagined icon drove a 5.5% share of all new electric enquiries this month so far. This was followed by the Tesla Model Y which just pipped the Skoda Elroq and had to settle for third place. The electric compact crossover SUV generated a 4% share of enquires whilst the Elroq received a 3.9% share.
BYD closes in on MG as most popular electric brand
MG continues to command a solid lead at the top of the electric brand rankings generating more than one in 10 (12.1%) of all new electric enquiries. Although MG was unmoved at the top, the rise of BYD up the electric rankings into second place (8.5% share of enquiries) highlights how new entrants such as BYD are continuing to turn heads. The top three was rounded off by Korean manufacturer Kia which drove a 6.7% share of enquiries.
Discounts reduce but remain higher than same period last year
The average new car discount across all fuel types softened this month with discounts decreasing from 10.2% in December to 9.6% in January. Despite this, the average discount was higher than January 2025 which had an average discount of 8.8%. It was a similar story for electric as electric models went down from 11.8% in December to 11.3% in January – although average discounts on electric remained the same year-on-year.
Whilst discounts have softened, retailers are taking advantage of the continued interest among prospective buyers by advertising even more of their new car stock in front of the UK’s biggest audience of engaged car buyers. In January so far, the volume of new cars being advertised on Autotrader is currently up 17% versus last year.
Although challenging market conditions will persist this year, from what we can see on our platform, 2026 has got off to a promising start for the new car market. We might only be a few weeks in, but after the traditional festive lull, we’re already seeing a notable uptick in new car interest, as buyers start researching in earnest ahead of the new 26 registration plate. It’s a promising start to what we hope will be a positive Q1 for the industry.
Last year new entrants saw a significant market share growth which helped to grow the market overall and it’s expected that this year will be no different as these brands look to capture the attention of even more buyers. With consumer demand for new EVs growing steadily throughout 2025 as high discounts and the electric car grant boosted interest, it’s crucial that manufacturers and retailers stay ahead of the curve and ensure they put the right stock in front of buyers to help convert interest into sales.”
Most in demand new car electric models on Autotrader in January 2026 ranked by enquiries/leads
|
Rank |
Make |
Model |
Share of enquiries |
|
1 |
Renault |
5 E-Tech Electric |
5.5% |
|
2 |
Tesla |
Model Y |
4.0% |
|
3 |
Skoda |
Elroq |
3.9% |
|
4 |
MG |
MGS5 |
3.4% |
|
5 |
Cupra |
Tavascan |
3.2% |
|
6 |
Audi |
Q6 e-tron |
3.0% |
|
7 |
MG |
MGS6 |
2.8% |
|
8 |
BYD |
Seal |
2.6% |
|
9 |
Vauxhall |
Mokka Electric |
2.6% |
|
10 |
Alpine |
A290 |
2.4% |
Most in demand new car electric brands1 on Autotrader in January 2026 ranked by enquiries/leads
|
Rank |
Make |
Share of enquiries |
|
1 |
MG |
12.1% |
|
2 |
BYD |
8.5% |
|
3 |
Kia |
6.7% |
|
4 |
Renault |
6.5% |
|
5 |
BMW |
6.3% |
|
6 |
Vauxhall |
5.7% |
|
7 |
Audi |
5.7% |
|
8 |
Tesla |
4.9% |
|
9 |
Skoda |
4.8% |
|
10 |
Cupra |
4.8% |
Most in demand new car models on Autotrader in January 2026 ranked by enquiries/leads – all fuel types
|
Rank |
Make |
Model |
Share of enquiries |
|
1 |
Jaceoo |
Jaecoo 7 |
3.8% |
|
2 |
Land Rover |
Range Rover |
3.7% |
|
3 |
Land Rover |
Range Rover Sport |
3.4% |
|
4 |
Land Rover |
Defender 110 |
3.0% |
|
5 |
Volkswagen |
Golf |
2.8% |
|
6 |
Volkswagen |
Tiguan |
1.9% |
|
7 |
BYD |
Seal U |
1.8% |
|
8 |
Jaecoo |
Jaecoo 5 |
1.8% |
|
9 |
MG |
MG HS |
1.6% |
|
10 |
Porsche |
911 |
1.4% |
Most in demand new car brands on Autotrader in January 2026 ranked by enquiries/leads – all fuel types
|
Rank |
Make |
Share of enquiries |
|
1 |
Land Rover |
13.3% |
|
2 |
BMW |
9.3% |
|
3 |
Audi |
8.9% |
|
4 |
Volkswagen |
7.4% |
|
5 |
MG |
5.6% |
|
6 |
JAECOO |
5.4% |
|
7 |
BYD |
3.8% |
|
8 |
Porsche |
3.5% |
|
9 |
Skoda |
3.4% |
|
10 |
Vauxhall |
2.9% |
1. Based on brands' electric models only.
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