9:50 am, October 2, 2026
The Jaecoo 7 has had a meteoric rise through the UK new car best sellers list, and the Chinese brand that most people hadn’t heard of a year ago is now one of the best selling cars of 2026.
The SMMT’s preliminary results for September put the Jaecoo 7 comfortably ahead of the Tesla Model 3, which recorded 9,929 registrations, while the Ford Puma finished third with 6,958.
More significantly, September’s performance has propelled the Jaecoo 7 into second place in the year-to-date rankings, with 39,473 registrations so far in 2026.
That leaves it just 3,453 cars behind the Ford Puma, which remains Britain’s best-selling car for the year with 42,926 registrations.
With three months of 2026 remaining, it sets up a potentially fascinating battle for the annual sales crown.
The Jaecoo 7 had been third in the year-to-date standings at the end of both July and August, but its bumper September allowed it to leapfrog the Kia Sportage.
At the end of August, the Ford Puma had opened up a substantial advantage, with 35,968 registrations compared with 28,571 for the Jaecoo 7.
Top 10 best-selling cars – September 2026
1. Jaecoo 7 – 10,813
2. Tesla Model 3 – 9,929
3. Ford Puma – 6,958
4. Kia Sportage – 6,521
5. Tesla Model Y – 5,946
6. Nissan Qashqai – 5,554
7. Vauxhall Corsa – 5,498
8. Volkswagen Golf – 5,496
9. MG HS – 5,444
10. Audi A3 – 5,268
The picture changed dramatically in September, however, when Jaecoo registered 3,855 more 7s than Ford did Pumas.
September was not the first time the Jaecoo 7 has topped the monthly sales rankings during 2026, but its latest result underlines just how quickly the model has established itself among Britain’s biggest-selling cars.
There is no guarantee that September’s performance will be repeated during the traditionally lower-volume final quarter.
In July, the Puma outsold the Jaecoo 7 by 822 cars, with 3,531 registrations against 2,709, while in August Ford’s SUV recorded 2,795 registrations compared with 2,022 for its Chinese rival.
Top 10 best-selling cars – 2026 year to date
1. Ford Puma – 42,926
2. Jaecoo 7 – 39,473
3. Kia Sportage – 37,085
4. Nissan Qashqai – 33,082
5. Vauxhall Corsa – 27,390
6. MG HS – 26,653
7. Volkswagen Golf – 26,124
8. Mini Cooper – 24,767
9. Volvo XC40 – 23,287
10. Volkswagen Tiguan – 22,985
But with only 3,453 registrations now separating the two models, the Jaecoo 7 would need to outsell the Puma by an average of 1,151 cars a month across October, November and December to overhaul it before the end of the year.
The battle comes as the wider UK new car market recorded its strongest September since 2017.
Registrations rose 12.1% to 350,518 during the month, with the SMMT saying intense competition, particularly from new entrants, greater choice and attractive deals were helping to drive growth.