Millions of British drivers said they would be open to buying a car from China, as Chinese manufacturers continue to become more popular.
New research has found that 72 per cent of people would "consider" buying a car made by a major Chinese automotive manufacturer.
More than a quarter of British drivers said they would be happy to buy a car from the largest Chinese manufacturer, BYD.
The Xi'an-based company is already one of the largest manufacturers in China and has quickly become the most identifiable brands in the UK.
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Chinese brand BYD could soon overtake the sales totals of Tesla
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Drivers are attracted to these cars because of their cheaper upfront costs and impressive range of technology, with particular savings seen with electric cars.
One of BYD's most popular models is the Dolphin model, with prices starting from just £26,025.
In many cases, this is thousands of pounds cheaper than the majority of electric vehicles sold by established Western brands.
Consumer interest in BYD is also evident with almost 15,000 new registrations so far this year, beating out the likes of Citroen, Dacia, Fiat, Honda and Seat.
Crucially, it is only 200 sales behind electric vehicle giant Tesla, showing the demand for BYD after just over a year of sales in the UK.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: "Chinese manufacturers are making a concerted assault on the UK market and our research shows that consumers are receptive to the idea of buying a car from them.
"Many brands are appearing and the biggest problem that faces these new entrants is probably differentiation."
He noted that brands that are marketing heavily and building dealer networks will be the most successful, as drivers will be more aware of the brands.
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OMODA&JAECOOThis can be evidenced by BYD's marketing at the 2024 European Championships, where it was the official e-mobility partner and could be seen on advertising boards during every game.
Similarly, Omoda Jaecoo became the official automotive partner for international rugby tournaments, including the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup.
Following BYD, Maxus (19 per cent) and Chery (14 per cent) had the highest level of recognition among potential British customers.
Other popular brands include Denza, Jaecoo (both 11 per cent), Omoda, Xpeng (both 10 per cent), Nio, Skywell and GWM Ora (all nine per cent).
BYD advertisements were seen throughout the Euros PAIn the first five months of the year, Chinese brands have already sold more than 27,000 cars in the UK, with BYD, Jaecoo and Omoda being the most popular.
Despite the overwhelming acceptance of buying new cars from China, 18 per cent of respondents said they would rather stay with brands that have an established track record in the UK.
Other reasons included concerns around the quality of the vehicles (11 per cent), wanting to support British car manufacturers (seven per cent), the availability of parts (four per cent) and dealer support (two per cent).
Burgess added: "This shows that there is some trepidation among a minority of car buyers, but really, concrete concerns that you might expect about the kind of quality and support that can be expected from the Chinese new entrants, are very low."
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