The arrival of Chinese car brands has opened the door to a new world of affordable vehicle options for UK drivers.

In the past two years, they have rapidly grown in popularity at the expense of mainstream brands we’ve known and loved for decades, accounting for around one in seven cars delivered this year.

The emergence of the likes of BYD, Chery and Omoda has triggered a seismic shift in buying habits as Chinese models undercut legacy rivals on price while also offering more equipment, tech and gadgets.

And the biggest success story of them all has been the Jaecoo 7, commonly referred to as the ‘Temu Range Rover’ for its Chinese origins, likeness to the high-end Range Rover Velar, and very reasonable price tag. 

It’s the nation’s third most-bought new car as of the end of April. 

The most popular version is its Super Hybrid System (SHS) plug-in hybrid. Its combination of petrol and electric power can go for 745 miles on a full tank and battery charge, and even up to 56 miles in EV-only mode.

With prices starting from £35,170, it’s around half the price of the luxury Range Rover. But, more importantly, it is cheaper than mainstream models from European, Korean and Japanese rivals.

However, that’s not the case if you know how much you can haggle off the price of a rival SUV from a brand you already know – and trust.

Experts at Insider Car Deals exclusively reveal to This is Money that you can strike a deal on a Volkswagen, Toyota or Hyundai rival and pay less than you would for the Chinese substitute.

The Jaecoo 7 has become an overnight hit in Britain. But experts say you can get SUVs from mainstream brands just as cheap, if you know how much to haggle with a salesman

Pat Hoy, founder of Insider Car Deals, says new Chinese competition in the family SUV market has sparked higher discounting in the segment in recent months.

The average saving drivers can score is 10.4 per cent – or £4,364 per car – as of today, which is 27 per cent higher than the discounts available just 12 months ago when China’s invasion of the automotive segment was in its infancy.

We asked Pat to identify seven family SUV alternatives to a Jaecoo 7 from widely known manufacturers that he can haggle down to a comparable – if not cheaper – price than the Temu Range Rover.

The average discount on these 10 cars is more than £9,400 – almost a quarter on the list price. But only if customers know how far dealers will go down in price.

Pat’s company tells motorists exactly how little they should be paying for new models based on a combination of ever-changing manufacturer promotions, aggressive discounting and low APR on personal contract purchase deals, and how much you can negotiate with a salesman in a showroom.

Pat’s team of mystery shoppers are continuously testing the resolve of dealers and the ‘total saving’ price he can quote for every new car on the market is what you can genuinely expect to pay with some stern haggling.

With drivers typically failing to push sales staff to their limits, customers leave an average of £1,027 on the table, Pat explains.

Here’s Pat’s seven family SUVs with petrol or hybrid power that can be pushed down to a price on par with the Jaecoo. 

If a car you want isn’t on this list, you can go direct to Insider Car Deals and for £99 you can get a Deal Sheet that outlines exactly how little you should pay for this motor in a showroom over the coming days.

1. Peugeot 3008 – 24.2% off

Average list price: £40,195

Insider Car Deals total saving: £9,409 

Total saving price: £30,786 (£4,384 cheaper than Jaecoo 7) 

Peugeot’s recently updated 3008 is a very stylish family SUV. A 1.2-litre mild-hybrid petrol is around £4,300 cheaper than a Jaecoo 7, if you can negotiate the best deal available

Insider Car Deal’s team of expert hagglers secured a total dealer discount of £8,008 on a 1.2-litre mild-hybrid petrol Peugeot 3008 SUV, which is £829 less than customers typically save without knowing some of the best haggling negotiating tricks. 

This additional saving brings a monthly PCP payment down from £294 to £274.

With the total saving, the 3008 is over £4,300 cheaper than the asking price for a Jaecoo 7. 

2. Nissan Qashqai – 17.5% off

Average list price: £39,266

Insider Car Deals total saving: £6,794

Total saving price: £32,472 (£2,698 cheaper than a Jaecoo 7)

The Nissan Qashqai has been a best-seller in the SUV sector for the best part of two decades. Discounting on average amounts to over £6,500

Mystery shoppers pressed salesmen and women in Nissan showrooms for a £6,536 discount on the E-Power hybrid version of the popular Qashqai SUV. This is £587 more than what customers typically get. 

On the PCP, this additional saving is the difference between £232 and £245 per month.

Total savings made up of manufacturer and dealer discounts add up to £6,794 on average, making the Qashqai £2,700 cheaper than a Temu Range Rover.

3. Skoda Karoq – 17.4% off

Average list price: £35,513

Insider Car Deals total saving: £5,892 

Total saving price: £29,621 (£5,549 cheaper than a Jaecoo 7)

A Skoda Karoq is a proven practical family SUV. The 1.5 TSI petrol is economical and powerful enough for most drivers – and subject to aggressive discounting by dealers

The mid-size Skoda SUV is one of the most practical models in this list. Looking at a 1.5-TSI petrol variant, Insider Car Deals negotiated a dealer discount of £4,745, which is £1,069 more than what buyers usually settle on when striking a deal. 

This brings a monthly PCP payment down from £337 to £311, Pat says.

Combined with finance incentives and Skoda’s manufacturer-level deals, the Karoq comes in more than £5,500 cheaper than a Jaecoo 7.

4. Toyota C-HR – 17.3% off

Average list price: £37,654 

Insider Car Deals total saving: £6,273

Total saving price: £31,381 (£3,789 cheaper than a Jaecoo 7)

The Toyota C-HR is one of the smaller SUVs on this list, but what it lacks in scale it makes up for with premium appeal and a green hybrid system

While not the biggest SUV, the hybrid Toyota C-HR has plenty of premium appeal and a green powertrain. 

With Insider Car Deals able to negotiate a £1,107 better dealer discount than buyers typically get, the price comes down to just under £31,400 – which is £3,700 less than you’d pay list price for the Jaecoo.

For monthly PCP payments, the extra discount secured by the experts brings cost down from £335 to £308.

5. Volkswagen Tiguan – 16.9% off

Average list price: £45,468

Insider Car Deals total saving: £7,242

Total saving price: £38,226 (£3,056 more than a Jaecoo 7)

For just £3,000 more than a Jaecoo 7, buyers can negotiate a deal on a frugal petrol VW Tiguan, which has far more badge appeal than Chinese rivals

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Of all the examples in this list, the VW Tiguan is the only one that rings in more expensive than the list price of a Jaecoo 7 once you factor in the discount amount.

However, given Insider Car Deals can – on average – knock over £7,000 off its steep asking price, this roomy and classy SUV with plenty of badge appeal and stronger residual value is a good deal at just over £38,200.

Some £5,585 of the total discount on a 1.5 eTSI mild-hybrid petrol is what mystery shoppers haggled from salesmen, which is £1,301 that customers typically get. As such, PCP monthly payments drop from £394 to £362.

6. Hyundai Tucson – 16.5% off

Average list price: £39,220

Insider Car Deals total saving: £6,232

Total saving price: £32,988 (£2,182 cheaper than a Jaecoo 7)

Hyundai’s Tucson has cemented itself as one of Britain’s favourite SUVs in recent years. Despite its popularity, Insider Car Deals says it can get £4,670 off the list price

The Tucson is one of the most popular new cars in Britain and has been for a few years. Yet there’s plenty of discounting to be had that brings a 1.6 hybrid down below the price of a Chinese Jaecoo 7.

On dealer negotiation alone, Insider Car Deals worked out a £4,672 saving, which is a £1,110 improvement on what most buyers will get. 

This tougher bargaining process brings monthly PCP payments down from £303 to £278.

7. Renault Symbioz – 13.8% off

Average list price: £31,995

Insider Car Deals total saving: £4,257

Total saving price: £27,738 (£7,432 cheaper than a Jaecoo 7)

Renault’s Symbioz – which has a conventional self-charging hybrid drivetrain – is already a cheaper option than a Jaecoo 7 but with the mainstream appeal of a European maker

The average list price of a new Renault Symbioz is already cheaper than a Jaecoo 7’s, though with an additional £4,250 in discount, it works out at £7,400 less.

On the French brand’s self-charging FHev hybrid, the typical dealer total saving Insider Car Deals can secure is £2,843 – some £1,034 improved on what typical buyers agree to.

On the PCP, that’s the difference between £260 and £285 per month.

All PCP monthly payments shown are illustrative only and do not constitute an offer or financial advice. Figures are based on manufacturers’ published PCP terms and typically assume a 4-year term, 8,000–10,000 miles per year, a 15% customer deposit, and any applicable manufacturer finance contribution. A Guaranteed Future Value (GFV) or final payment may be required to keep the vehicle at the end of the agreement. Always request a full written quotation from a supplying dealer before committing to purchase.

Total savings, expressed as £ and % values include dealer margin discount, any manufacturer cash saving, any applicable government EV grant, and any finance deposit contribution linked to a PCP offer.

Dealer mystery shopping carried out by Insider Car Deals on a representative sample of 70 franchised new-car dealers across the UK between 28.4.26 and 5.5.26.