Jaecoo 7, BYD Seal and Leapmotor C10 lead a Chinese shift in UK car leasing

Chinese brands are reshaping the UK leasing market. Three Chinese models are in Select Car Leasing’s top 10 most-delivered cars of 2026, led by the Jaecoo 7 for the second year running, with the BYD Seal in fourth and the Leapmotor C10 EV in eighth, according to Motor Trade News. Last year, the Jaecoo 7 was the only Chinese car on the list.

The same data shows electric cars jumping to 39% of Select’s deliveries, from 31.82% in 2025, while diesel falls. For anyone looking at a personal lease, it confirms what the deals have been suggesting: Chinese brands and EVs are offering some of the sharpest monthly prices on the market.

What does Select’s top 10 show?

Select Car Leasing is the UK’s largest lease broker by volume. Its 2026 top 10, measured by share of deliveries among the top 10 models, includes:

Position	Model	Share of top-10 deliveries
1	Jaecoo 7	25.48%
2	Kia Sportage	14.59%
3	Volkswagen T-Roc	9.4%
4	BYD Seal	8.85%
8	Leapmotor C10 EV	6.70%

Volkswagen, Kia, Nissan and Hyundai models also feature. Three of the top 10 are fully electric: the BYD Seal, Leapmotor C10 EV and Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo. In 2025, the Tesla Model 3 was the only EV in the list.

“For the second year running, the Jaecoo 7 is proving to be Select’s most popular lease vehicle, but it’s not the only Chinese manufacturer making huge inroads into the UK leasing market,” said Geoff Cockerill, Select’s director of operations. “We’ve delivered more examples of the BYD Seal than any other electric vehicle across 2026, while the Leapmotor C10 Electric has also proved incredibly popular, its success driven by affordable special offers.”

How fast is electric leasing growing?

Quickly. Select’s deliveries by fuel type:

Fuel type	2025	2026
Electric	31.82%	39.00%
Petrol	34.73%	29.03%
Petrol plug-in hybrid	13.00%	14.37%
Petrol hybrid	11.07%	10.41%
Diesel	9.32%	7.16%

“More than 53% of the vehicles we’ve delivered so far in 2026 now have a plug of some description,” said Cockerill. “That’s a significant milestone for Select Car Leasing and way above the industry norm.”

Diesel’s fall reflects record pump prices, with diesel passing £2 a litre at some forecourts in October. Our report on rising used EV values shows the same shift in the used market.

Why are Chinese brands doing so well in leasing?

Price is the main reason. Cockerill says the leasing market is one “where the price of a deal can often trump the allure of a well-known brand”. Lease prices depend heavily on a car’s list price, the discounts a maker offers and the residual value a lender expects. Chinese brands have been aggressive on all three.

There are other factors:

• Equipment. Chinese brands tend to include a lot as standard, which makes comparisons easy.
• Range and charging. EVs like the BYD Seal offer long range for the money.
• Special offers. Select credits Leapmotor’s success partly to “affordable special offers”.

The Jaecoo 7’s leasing success mirrors its national sales. It was the UK’s best-selling new car in September with 10,814 registrations, ahead of the Tesla Model 3 on 9,929, as we covered in our September sales analysis. Note that many Jaecoo 7s are plug-in hybrids rather than pure EVs.

Is this the same for company cars?

Partly. Select’s customers are mainly personal contract hire (PCH) drivers, and Cockerill suggests that matters. “Established company-car schemes may take longer to incorporate newer brands into their approved vehicle lists, potentially influencing the mix of vehicles selected by fleet customers compared with personal leasing customers.”

But fleets are catching up. Leasing.com says Chinese brands account for 15.8% of its fleet leasing enquiries and 17% of fleet EV enquiries in 2026, as Fleet News reported. BYD holds 41.6% of Chinese fleet enquiries, with the BYD Seal and Sealion 7 the most requested. And at Leasing Options, the Changan Deepal S07 was the most popular business lease in its latest rankings, with the Omoda 5 second.

“Fleet decision-makers operate on strict commercial metrics, not legacy badges,” said Leasing.com chief executive Mike Fazal.

What does it mean for lease prices?

Competition is keeping monthly payments down, especially on EVs. Car makers also face pressure to hit ZEV mandate targets, which pushes them to offer EV lease deals, as our analysis of year-end ZEV discounts explains.

Two things could change the picture in 2027:

1. Tariffs. If the UK aligns with EU tariffs on China-built EVs, lease prices on those cars could rise. Our Made in Europe report covers the debate.
2. The ZEV mandate review. A lower 2030 target could reduce the pressure on brands to discount EVs.

What should you look for in a lease deal?

If you are considering a personal lease on an EV or a Chinese-brand car:

• Compare total cost, not just the monthly figure. Include the initial payment, mileage limit and any fees.
• Check excess mileage charges. Under-estimating your mileage can be expensive.
• Look at the warranty and service network. Newer brands are expanding fast, but check your nearest service centre.
• Plan for pay-per-mile tax. If your lease runs past April 2028, budget for 3p a mile eVED, as we explain in our eVED guide.
• Weigh up leasing against buying. Our guide to leasing versus PCP versus buying helps.

What is personal contract hire?

Personal contract hire (PCH) is a long-term rental. You pay an initial payment, usually a multiple of the monthly fee, then fixed monthly payments for an agreed term, typically two to four years, with an annual mileage limit. At the end, you hand the car back. You never own it, and you do not have to worry about what it is worth.

Lease prices depend on three main things:

1. The price the leasing company pays for the car, after manufacturer discounts.
2. The expected value of the car at the end of the lease, its residual value.
3. Interest rates and fees.

The difference between the purchase price and the residual value, plus finance costs, is broadly what you pay over the lease. That is why brands offering big discounts or strong residual values can offer cheap monthly payments, and why EVs, which car makers are discounting heavily to meet the ZEV mandate, have become so competitive.

Why is leasing popular for EVs?

Leasing takes away two of the biggest worries about buying an electric car:

• Resale value. EV values fell sharply in 2024 and 2025. With a lease, depreciation is the leasing company’s risk, not yours.
• Fast-changing technology. Ranges and charging speeds are improving quickly. A three-year lease lets you move to a newer model without worrying about selling an older one.

It also suits newer brands. If you are unsure how a Chinese brand’s cars will hold their value, leasing one means you do not need to find out.

What are the downsides of leasing?

Leasing is not for everyone:

• Mileage limits. Exceeding them leads to excess mileage charges, often several pence per mile.
• Condition charges. Damage beyond fair wear and tear is charged at the end.
• No ownership. You have nothing to sell or part-exchange at the end.
• Early termination costs. Ending a lease early can be expensive.

Our guide to leasing versus PCP versus buying compares the options in detail.

What does the fuel mix tell us?

Select’s data shows a clear shift away from diesel and petrol towards cars with plugs:

• Electric up from 31.82% to 39% of deliveries.
• Petrol plug-in hybrids up from 13% to 14.37%.
• Petrol down from 34.73% to 29.03%.
• Diesel down from 9.32% to 7.16%.
• Petrol hybrids down from 11.07% to 10.41%.

That matches the wider market, where battery EVs hit a record 28.3% share in September 2026 and diesel fell to just 4% of new car sales. Higher pump prices, with diesel passing £2 a litre in October, have pushed more drivers towards electric. Our report on rising used EV values shows the same trend in the used market.

Are there differences between personal and business leasing?

Yes. Select’s customers are mostly personal lessees, and its data shows Chinese brands doing especially well with them. Company car schemes can take longer to add new brands to approved lists. But business leasing data from Leasing Options and Leasing.com shows Chinese models gaining ground there too, from the Changan Deepal S07 to the BYD Seal and Sealion 7.

For company car drivers, the electric benefit-in-kind rate of 4% in 2026-27, rising to 9% by 2029-30, makes EVs especially attractive, as we explain in our BVRLA company car tax report.

Our view

Select’s figures show the leasing market moving faster than the wider car market, both towards EVs and towards Chinese brands. For drivers, that is good news: more choice, sharper prices and better standard equipment. Leasing also takes away much of the risk of buying a new brand, because the residual value is someone else’s problem. If you have been put off an EV by price or by uncertainty over resale values, a lease is one of the easiest ways to try one.