A survey by Startline Motor Finance has found that 72% of UK car buyers would consider buying a car from one of the newly-arrived Chinese brands.

The survey, part of June’s edition of the Startline Used Car Tracker, found that BYD was the most well-known of the Chinese brands, with 28% of potential customers recognising the brand.

Maxus and Chery followed, with 19% and 14% respectively, while Aiways, Denza, and Jaecoo were each recognised by 11% of potential buyers.

The brands with the lowest levels of consumer recognition were HiPhi (3%) and Zeekr (2%), although Zeekr has not yet launched in the UK, and Hiphi filed for bankruptcy last year, before it managed to complete its UK launch.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “Chinese manufacturers are making a concerted assault on the UK market – almost 12,000 BYDs were sold here in the first four months of the year – and our research shows that consumers are receptive to the idea of buying a car from them.

“Many brands are appearing and the biggest problem that faces these new entrants is probably differentiation.

“Those that are investing heavily in marketing and building dealer networks on the ground are seeing the dividends in terms of consumer awareness and again, BYD is the obvious example, topping our survey.”

Of the 18% of respondents who would not consider a Chinese car, 11% cited quality concerns, while 7% said they would rather support British car manufacturers.

Other concerns were parts availability (4%), security (4%), and dealer support (2%).

The Startline Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly by automotive intelligence specialist APD Global Research, with the June edition surveying 66 dealers and 301 customers.

Burgess said: “This shows that there is some trepidation among a minority of car buyers but really, concrete concerns that you might expect about the kind of quality and support that can be expected from the Chinese new entrants, are very low.”