British Auto Industry Yields to Chinese Chery

Chinese Chery will begin producing cars in the UK at the production facilities of Jaguar Land Rover, where Jaguar models were previously assembled. The company has already received approval from the British government to open car production in the country.

The decision was made possible against the backdrop of declining competitiveness of the British auto industry. At the same time, Chery enters local production without any economic sanctions or foreign trade restrictions. In fact, the UK will get its own Xcite, but for market, not political, reasons.

Chery and Jaguar Land Rover have been linked by a partnership that began in 2012. The companies created a joint venture to produce Jaguar in China, but the last products of the joint venture were produced in 2024, and it is now in the process of liquidation.

Chery's business in Britain has so far been based exclusively on imports, taking into account all customs barriers, but at the same time it has been steadily growing. At the end of last year, more new Chery cars were sold in the country than Honda, Mazda, Mini, Renault, Citroën and Dacia.

Not only cars under the Chery brand are represented on the British market, but also its subsidiaries Omoda and Jaecoo. It was also recently announced that the Lepas brand will be launched soon. In 2025, 53,600 new Chery-made cars were sold in the UK, and in January 2026 - another 6,100 cars.

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