The ‘Temu Range Rover’ that’s become a sales sensation: Britons bought more Jaecoo 7 SUVs than any other car in the last year
The Jaecoo 7, also known as the viral ‘Temu Range Rover’, has been crowned the most popular new car among private buyers, completing a remarkable first year on sale in the UK, the Daily Mail and This is Money can exclusively reveal.
‘Private buyers’ in car sales records are drivers who buy or finance their own motors, rather than vehicles that hit the road through fleet or business registration.
The Jaecoo 7, which became a TikTok sensation as the cheaper Range Rover Velar alternative in China for working school mothers, recorded 30,100 private sales in the last 12 months.
This is despite the model only being released in UK showrooms in January 2025.
At the heart of its appeal is its price of just £30,115; This is almost half the price of a Velar.
Figures published this morning show that Wuhu brand Jaecoo, which arrived in the UK just 12 months ago, achieved sales of 33,173 between 31 January 2025 and 31 2026.
‘Temu Range Rover’ a sales sensation: 30,100 units of the discount-priced SUV were sold between January 2025 and 2026, despite the model being launched only a year ago
Jaecoo, owned by Chery, China’s biggest car exporter, is officially the fastest-growing mainstream automotive brand the UK has seen in the last decade.
The brand told us it ‘delivered one of the strongest initial performances seen in the automotive market in over a decade’.
Integral to the popularity of both the Jaecoo and the 7 was the ‘Super Hybrid System’ (SHS) system.
Priced at £35,165, this plug-in hybrid powertrain provides a range of 745 miles combined with petrol and electric.
The 1.5-liter internal combustion engine, combined with an 18.7kWh battery, gives buyers an EV-only range of 56 miles, so most weekly errands or city/city drives can be completed without using the combustion engine.
By comparison, the Range Rover Velar PHEV, which costs twice as much, has just 30 miles of EV-only range.
Chantel, a ‘Temu Range Rover Mum’, tells us ‘too much money; With 7 SHS compared to the Range Rover it has: ‘Jaecoo’ costs just £60 to refuel and lasts forever; The Range Rover is around £100.’
Chantel, the ‘Temu Range Rover Mum’, said she saved a lot of money with SHS7 compared to the Range Rover she used to own: ‘The Jaecoo is only £60 on fuel and will last forever; For the Range Rover this figure is around £100.
Another important advantage is that Jaecoo 7 works like a self-charging hybrid; This is because the SHS system is designed to ensure that the battery never runs completely flat and retains enough power to switch to electric mode when needed.
Thanks to this new energy technology and the appeal of extremely low operating costs, the SHS model accounted for seven-tenths of Jaecoo 7 sales last year.
Jaecoo said: ‘Besides the availability of a conventional internal combustion engine [internal combustion engine] ‘The Jaecoo 7 series powertrain reflects the brand’s commitment to offering diversity as UK drivers navigate the transition to electrification at their own pace.’
Jaecoo has also said it is expanding its UK product range with the launch of the Jaecoo 5 and the all-electric E5 in 2025, which it said ‘reinforces a customer-focused approach to powertrain selection’.
Thanks to its ‘Super Hybrid System’, the Jaecoo 7 SHS can provide a total driving range of 745 miles with a full tank and battery
The family-friendly 7 SHS model accounted for just over 70% of all Jaecoo 7 sales in 2025
According to official market data published by the Association of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Jaecoo registered 4,850 cars in January.
Its sister brand, Omoda, also launched last year, helped the brand start 2026 with 4.64 percent market representation.
Demand for both brands, alongside the newly launched standalone Chery car brand and another sister company, Lepas, looks set to continue growing with continued investment in the UK network and further additions to the range on the horizon.
Jaecoo UK CEO Gary Lan told us: ‘Our first year has been about building trust through product and delivery.
From the launch of ‘Jaecoo 7’ to the expansion of the product range and dealer network, the focus has been on delivering true choice, strong value and a level of support customers can trust.
‘The response, particularly from private buyers, has shown that this approach is resonating and provides us with a solid foundation as we enter our second year in the UK.
‘Creating a brand in one year is one thing; maintaining momentum is another.
‘The results we see in 2025 give us confidence as we continue to invest in our products, network and after-sales support, ensuring Jaecoo remains competitive and relevant in an ever-evolving market.’
Spotted on the streets: Jaecoo 7s are a common sight on the roads, with many mothers getting behind the wheel of their affordable SUVs on the way to school.
Why do mums love ‘Temu Range Rover’?
Last year the Daily Mail and This is Money spoke to a number of Jaecoo 7 owners, including mother and influencer Olivia Mundy.
Aside from seeing him online, it was also TikTok that first hooked Jaecoo 7.
“When I looked at the features it had and saw one in person, I was convinced,” he told This is Money.
‘I like the look of the Range Rover but it’s not realistic in my style’ budgetespecially regarding maternal life and everything else.
‘With Jaecoo I felt like I was buying a premium car at a fraction of the cost.’
And Olivia is considering the plug-in hybrid 7 SHS [Super Hybrid System] ‘honestly the perfect car’ for mothers.
‘Space, boot size, big screen, security features: It all works very well with a small screen.’
The availability of the Jaecoo 7 in SHS PHEV form was also very appealing to Olivia’s maternal life.
‘I always wanted something cheaper to run but not fully electric. A plug-in hybrid sounds like the perfect middle ground.’
But while practicality is the Jaecoo 7’s biggest appeal, an even more ridiculous feature that Olivia says is her favorite: the karaoke machine.
‘Who wouldn’t want a karaoke machine in their car?’ he asks.
‘According to me [the Temu term] comic! I understand what people mean by this, it looks like a luxury car but without the luxury price. ‘I certainly don’t take that negatively.’
Chantel, who uses Diaries of a Business Mom on TikTok and Instagram, replaced her Range Rover Sport with a Jaecoo 7 SHS
Chantel, another mother who uses Diaries of a Business Mom on TikTok and Instagram, said that she replaced her expensive Range Rover Sport Autobiography with Jaecoo 7.
After owning a Range Rover for four years (her husband was a car mechanic who always wanted a Range Rover), they needed to save money while renovating a house.
The Range Rover was ‘very expensive to run and maintain, and monthly payments were also expensive’; the family had already chosen to purchase it. Then Chantel saw Jaecoo on TikTok.
She said she saw the Range Rover as a ‘pre-childhood car’, an engine for her husband to ‘get out of his system’ before starting a family.
She explained to us: ‘Last year we had our first child, a daughter, and priorities changed. ‘You want to spend your money elsewhere and we need more disposable income for the things we want to do with it.’
For Chantel, the Jaecoo 7 is a smart buy for ‘any young family who needs to save money’ and recommends it to all young families.
Chantel doesn’t mind it’s a fake Ranger Rover if it means a cheaper fuel bill: ‘Jaecoo costs just £60 to refuel and lasts forever; The Range Rover is around £100.’
