Chinese-made vehicles account for more than half of top 10 most-in demand new cars across all fuel types on Auto Trader in April.
Volkswagen’s Golf (3.4%) continued its strong run, topping the rankings for the third consecutive month, ahead of the Jaecoo 7 (3.1%) and the Land Rover Defender 110 (2.4%).
Chinese models made notable headway among consumers with the Jaecoo 7, MG S9, Omoda 5, Chery Tiggo and MG HS all featuring in the top ten most in-demand models.
The petrol and plug-in-hybrid Jaecoo 7’s prominence following its milestone performance in March, when it became the most in-demand new car of any fuel type, with strong momentum carrying into April as brands benefit from increased visibility in front of engaged car buyers.
At a brand level across all fuel types, BMW has emerged as the ‘hottest’ brand in April so far (9.9%), achieving a small lead ahead of MG (8.7%) and Land Rover (8.2%).
MG reclaimed its position as the most popular new electric car brand on Autotrader in April, accounting for 11.7% of all new electric car enquiries, ahead of Renault (7.5%) and Kia (5.9%).
At a model level, the Renault 5 E Tech Electric emerged as the most in demand electric car among consumers, accounting for 6.4% of all enquiries.
This was almost double the share of its nearest rivals – finishing ahead of the Jaecoo 5 (3.4%) and MG S5 (3.1%).
The rankings underline continued appetite for competitively priced electric vehicles across a range of segments.
Auto Trader said in April prices of electric cars were on average cheaper than petrol for the first time.
Based on advertised prices after discounts, new electric cars now cost £42,620 on average, compared with £43,405 for petrol models
Bex Kennett, head of new car at Autotrader, said: “The electric car market is becoming increasingly competitive, and despite the challenges created by the ZEV mandate, manufacturers and retailers have worked hard to improve both the supply and affordability of new electric vehicles.
“Support such as the Government’s Electric Car Grant, alongside historically high levels of discounting earlier this year, has brought EV prices to a point where they are now, on average, cheaper than petrol cars.
Most in-demand new car models on Autotrader in April 2026 ranked by enquiries/leads – all fuel types.
| Rank | Make | Model | Share of enquiries |
| 1 | Volkswagen | Golf | 3.4% |
| 2 | Jaecoo | 7 | 3.1% |
| 3 | Land Rover | Defender 110 | 2.4% |
| 4 | MG | MG S9 | 2.2% |
| 5 | Jaecoo | 5 | 1.9% |
| 6 | Renault | 5 E-Tech electric | 1.8% |
| 7 | Land Rover | Range Rover Sport | 1.8% |
| 8 | Omoda | 5 | 1.6% |
| 9 | Chery | Tiggo 8 | 1.5% |
| 10 | MG | MG HS | 1.5% |
