A Carblah survey shows that Chinese manufacturers such as Omoda, Chery, Jaecoo, Leapmotor, GWM, Changan, Geely and BYD are outperforming traditional mainstream brands in the experience offered to consumers.
Chinese car brands have gained a prominent position in the car-buying experience among consumers in the United Kingdom, according to the new Carblah Customer Experience Index. The survey points to a major shift in the British automotive market, especially among mainstream brands, a segment in which new manufacturers are earning increasingly positive reviews.
The study analysed almost 250,000 real customer reviews, considering touchpoints such as sales, customer service, after-sales support and ownership experience. In total, dealership networks from 54 manufacturers were evaluated based on consumer sentiment.
Omoda appears at the top of the overall index, followed by Chery and Jaecoo, brands from the same group. Leapmotor and GWM also ranked among the top five, while Changan, Geely and BYD appear among the top ten. The result reinforces the advance of Chinese manufacturers in a market historically dominated by European, Japanese and Korean brands.
Among established mainstream brands, Carblah highlights a competitive and relatively balanced group led by Dacia, Abarth, Cupra, Renault and Hyundai. Despite this consistency, the report states that no traditional mainstream brand managed to reach the performance levels recorded by several of the new Chinese brands.
The index also shows that consumers no longer automatically associate a higher price with a better experience. According to the analysis, the new brands are gaining ground by offering simpler, clearer and more consistent buying journeys, as well as customer service that is more aligned with today’s expectations.
Steve Fowler, journalist and co-founder of Carblah, said the index shows that consumers reward brands that offer a more direct and efficient experience. According to him, challenger and value-driven brands are winning because they make the process clearer, fairer and easier.
Michael Yeates, managing director and co-founder of Carblah, highlighted that trust has become an essential factor in the relationship with consumers. In his view, brands that reduce friction in the buying journey and after-sales process are likely to stand out even more in the market.
Mainstream brands evaluated in the index, in alphabetical order
- Abarth
- BYD
- Changan
- Chery
- Citroën
- Cupra
- Dacia
- Fiat
- Ford
- Geely
- GWM
- Honda
- Hyundai
- Jaecoo
- Jeep
- Kia
- Leapmotor
- Mazda
- MG
- MINI
- Nissan
- Omoda
- Peugeot
- Renault
- Seat
- Skoda
- Smart
- Subaru
- Suzuki
- Toyota
- Vauxhall
- Volkswagen
Source: Carblah. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
