12:33 pm, July 21, 2026
It may be a relatively new brand, but the Jaecoo 7 was the most in-demand new car on the Carwow car sales platform in the first half of 2026.
That is according to new data from the advertising platform, which also found that the ever-popular Kia Sportage not only took second spot behind Jaecoo, but also topped the used car list, according to new analysis of enquiries passed to dealers.
The Carwow top five lists highlight the continued popularity of SUVs across both new and used.
Behind the Jaecoo 7 and Kia Sportage, the Chery Tiggo 8 was the third most-enquired about new car on Carwow platforms during the first half of the year. Rounding out the top five were the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal U, respectively.
The Kia Sportage is the only model to make both lists, coming out as the most-enquired used model in H1. Behind it was a parade of household names – Nissan Qashqai, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, Hyundai Tucson – followed by the Mercedes-Benz A-class to conclude the top five used list.
James Pollard, VP dealer & growth retention at Carwow, said: ‘The Jaecoo J7 was the most-enquired car in the first quarter of the year, and to retain that crown for the first half of the year is an incredible achievement for the newcomer brand.
‘The most recent SMMT new car registration figures showed the best performing June since 2019, including a 12.5% rise in the volume of private buyers.
‘It looks like we’re seeing a welcome return to pre-pandemic sales volumes on new cars, and while pure EV prices are becoming increasingly competitive, we know that many buyers are opting for hybrids as a “confidence bridge”.
‘This would also explain why, even though EV enquiries were up 56% year-on-year to the end of H1 on Carwow, few new pure EVs made the top five list, with models that offer petrol-hybrid powertrains continuing to dominate.’
Most-enquired new models in H1 2026
- Jaecoo 7
- Kia Sportage
- Chery Tiggo 8
- Tesla Model 3
- BYD Seal U
Carwow has recently launched an innovative new ANPR campaign called ‘The Fling’, which went live on 13 July and operates at motorway service stations in London and the South East until 23 August.
It specifically targets retail-ready vehicles in the current ‘sweet spot’ for used sales: five-year-old cars and under with fewer than 40,000 miles on the clock. Carwow estimates that more than 1.1 million of these hyper-targeted ads will be generated per week.
By encouraging more drivers to sell their cars with Carwow, the campaign will support the flow of the most in-demand stock into its online daily auctions and consequently attract more visitors to the site who are on the hunt for their next new or used car.
Most-enquired used models in H1 2026
- Kia Sportage
- Nissan Qashqai
- Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
- Hyundai Tucson
- Mercedes-Benz A-class