More than one in seven new cars sold in the first six months of the year are Chinese, and many of them are from brands that have only been visible in the UK for two years.Registration data collated from showrooms reveals that 87,000 Chinese cars have hit UK roads in the first six months of the year.Newcomers including BYD, Chery and Geely have sold tens of thousands of cars in 2026; manufacturers that only set up shop in Britain as little as 12 months earlier.And their growth shows no sign of handbrake-turning anytime soon.This rapid rise of Chinese cars is, without question, the biggest seismic shift in the new car market in decades, as the draw of cheaper vehicles proves too strong for Britons who are casting aside years of brand loyalty.But are Chinese cars really better for your bank balance?Yes, they almost always undercut European, Korean, Japanese and US rivals on list price. But will you still have those savings in your back pocket after years of running costs and depreciation?Calculations by automotive magazine Auto Express have found that Chinese cars aren't always the best financial option... Chinese cars - like the Jaecoo 7 SUV - typically have lower purchase prices than their more established rivals. But are the really cheaper to own? Not always, calculations reveal...Demand for Chinese cars feels as though it has already reached unquenchable levels.Chinese manufacturers now account for two of the nation's best-selling cars: the Jaecoo 7 SUV is the third most popular, with 24,000 orders since January, while the MG HS is seventh, with 16,700 deliveries.The popularity of Chinese cars is even greater if you take into account the new vehicles built there, especially brands that are partially or fully owned by parent companies from the People's Republic, with Lotus, Polestar and Volvo cases in point.And there are compelling reasons to seriously consider Chinese cars.