JAECOO becomes Carwow’s Brand of the Year in its coveted ‘Car of the Year’ Awards 2026, securing one of the highest honours in the automotive calendar and reaffirming its position as one of the UK’s most exciting new marques.

The Carwow ‘Car of the Year’ Awards celebrate the cars that achieve outstanding expert ratings, showcasing real ingenuity and innovation. Judged by Carwow’s expert content team – who test and review hundreds of cars annually across every segment and powertrain – the awards reflect real-world driving impressions. In naming JAECOO as Brand of the Year, the judges commended its confident styling, high level of equipment as standard, and the remarkable impact the brand has made in the UK in such a short space of time.

Mat Watson, Chief Content Officer at Carwow, said: “JAECOO feels like it’s been selling cars in the UK for no more than five minutes, yet it’s taken the market by storm. It’s already nipping at the heels of the best-sellers, and the JAECOO 7 SUV has topped enquiries charts on the Carwow website. No wonder – JAECOO cars look cool, pack loads of standard equipment and yet cost far less than alternatives from European, Japanese or Korean brands.”

The award crowns a landmark first year for JAECOO in the UK. Since its launch in January 2025, the brand has achieved more than 21,000 sales, led by the success of the JAECOO 7 – a design-led SUV that balances premium technology and design with everyday practicality and capability.

The model’s popularity has translated directly into results: the JAECOO 7 SHS was the UK’s best-selling plug-in hybrid in August, as well as the JAECOO 7 being named as the best-selling Chinese car in the UK in October according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)*.

Gary Lan, CEO of JAECOO UK, said: “To be recognised as Carwow’s Brand of the Year is an incredible achievement for JAECOO and a true reflection of what we’ve built in such a short time. From the very beginning [in January 2025], our vision has been to create vehicles that feel modern, capable and well-made – cars that connect with people on both an emotional and practical level. Achieving what we have all within our first year demonstrates the strength of our products and the trust we’ve earned from our customers. This award motivates us to go even further as we expand our range and continue redefining what a premium SUV brand can be.”

With momentum continuing into the final months of the year, JAECOO’s UK line-up is expanding with the arrival of the compact JAECOO 5 and E5 – with the E5 being the brand’s first all-electric variant. Together, they represent the next step in JAECOO’s evolution, combining the brand’s adventurous design DNA with poised powertrain choices and drive-focused technologies as standard.

Supported by an expanding 81-strong UK retailer network, every JAECOO model is covered by a 7-year/100,000-mile warranty and RAC Home Start cover as standard.

* SMMT, smmt.co.uk/vehicle-data/car-registrations