Spanish drivers are overcoming their misgivings about Chinese brands: their cars and, above all, their prices are attracting more and more interest.

The Barcelona Auto Show is a precise indicator of trends, fashions, and the paths the automotive industry is taking. This has been the case since the first edition, and now it has been held for more than 40 years. The latest developments presented at this event not only preview the models that will populate our roads in the coming years, but also offer a glimpse into other phenomena that will define our market in the future.

In previous editions, electrified vehicles have made a strong entrance, and in this year's 43rd edition, the star attraction is undoubtedly the new Chinese brands that are beginning to establish themselves on the national automotive scene. With electrification now consolidated as a reality in its various forms—hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and 100% electric vehicles—what's experiencing unstoppable growth is the proliferation of new players in this new era, none other than Chinese manufacturers.

These powerful Asian industrial giants (Geely, Chery, BYD, SAIC Motors, Great Wall Motors, etc.) have greater experience in this field than European manufacturers, and their high production volumes allow them to offer a vast range of models at unbeatable prices. This is the main selling point they cite in most cases, along with designs increasingly tailored to European tastes and quality standards—at least perceived quality—comparable to (or even superior to) those of many premium or mainstream brands on the Old Continent.

At Automobile Barcelona 2025, Chinese brands have doubled their presence compared to 2023 and account for a third of the exhibitors.

At Automobile Barcelona 2025, Chinese brands have doubled their presence compared to 2023 and account for a third of the exhibitors. Of the almost thirty brands present, around ten are of Chinese origin: MG, BYD, Grupo DR –Evo, Sportequipe, ICHX, Tiger-, Omoda & Jaecco, Lynk & Co, Leapmotor, X-Peng... That's not counting Ebro , the reborn Spanish brand that is the result of a joint venture with the Chinese group Chery . They are responsible for a good part of the dozen firsts that could be seen for the first time in Spain, as well as the only European novelty (MG S5) and the only world novelty, the Ebro s400 .

Faced with such an avalanche of new products and new brands, most of which belong to the electric segment, whether EV or PHEV, local customers have begun to show interest, as reflected in sales data. The overwhelming arrival of Chinese brands is already translating into a real presence on our streets. Thus, in 2024, almost 5% of passenger car registrations in Spain were Chinese models, while in the fully electric category, the percentage now stands at 13% of sales.

Last year, MG ranked 15th in the Spanish sales ranking, above brands such as Opel and Ford.

Some of them have managed to place their models among the most popular. This is the case with MG. The century-old British Morris Garage was purchased by the SAIC Motor group in 2007 and last year ranked 15th in the Spanish sales rankings, above brands like Opel and Ford. Among electric cars, the MG4 holds the third position, behind only the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. Its prices are unbeatable, and it offers a 7-year or 150,000-km commercial warranty on its models.

BYD (Build Your Dreams) is another prominent player. It is the world's second-largest electric car manufacturer, behind only Tesla. In Spain, it already sells seven models, most of them electric, with a six-year or 150,000-kilometer warranty, and is one of the fastest-growing brands.

Spaniards now accept Chinese cars.

The motivations cited by potential buyers of Chinese cars are product quality and competitive prices, far below those of European competitors. According to a recent study by the global market consultancy Appinio, 70% of Spanish drivers would be open to considering Chinese cars as a short-term purchase option. 48% would consider it in the next three years, while 19% would "definitely" do so.

It's clear that Spanish drivers' perception of cars from the "red giant" is much more positive than before, and has definitively moved away from the misguided concept of " low cost " or low quality. The majority also consider their presence in the market to be positive because they foster competition thanks to their good product-price ratio.

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This is demonstrated by the survey conducted by the Coches.net portal as part of the 2025 Auto Show. When asked about their perception of Chinese brands, 26% of respondents considered them "innovative and trustworthy," while 31% continued to prefer "well-known brands," and 42% stated that "they find them interesting, but need more information about their quality."

The main obstacle that the "young" Chinese firms still have to overcome is customer acceptance and satisfaction resulting from their relatively recent introduction. The OCU (Spanish Consumer Organization) still lacks sufficient data or a history of conclusive evidence regarding their commercial "solvency," so for now, word of mouth and the specific experiences of individuals determine opinions and positions subjectively.

Much remains to be learned about aspects such as the reliability of their products in our region, the ownership experience, after-sales service, repair costs, workshop turnaround times, availability of spare parts, and the depreciation of their models, as well as the buyback or demand values ​​for these brands and models on the secondhand market.

Likewise, the barriers that still hold back many potential Chinese car customers are none other than those inherent to purchasing a 100% electric model: real-world range, charging station infrastructure, and a higher price than combustion models. Like any new development, timing is key to determining success.