There's a huge Chinese carmaker cage fight going on right now between 22 different brands in Australia and not all will survive, but knowing what we know here's five we think will beat the others to become Aussie favourites for a long time.
Before we start, let's have a few ground rules - Chinese brands such as MG, GWM and LDV aren't included in this because they are already established brands with large dealer networks and their future in Australia is almost certainly assured.
The brands we're really focussing on here are the more recent arrivals who have made massive inroads in a relatively short period of time.
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Here's the big five in no particular order.
BYD
Chinese superstar brand BYD knew its way into Aussie hearts when it arrived in 2022 quickly winning us over with electric SUVs such as the small Atto 3 and mid-size Sealon 7, and the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute.
BYD has gone from battery maker to world's biggest electric car producer and continues to impress by offering outstanding EVs at low prices.
March saw BYD entering the top 3 best-selling car brands in Australia and is now a major threat to established car makers such as Honda, Mitsubishi and Nissan.
There is no doubt that as BYD's lineup grows and its presence solidifies here, the company will be around in Australia for a long time to come.
Geely
Geely is a giant - it makes three million cars a year globally - and it brought that enormous manufacturing firepower to Australia in 2025 and launched its EX5 mid-sized SUV.
Slow to arrive, Geely appears to be taking its time, but has since launched the Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid SUV and has the small electric EX2 SUV coming soon.
Geely may be gigantic but it needs to hurry up, because rival Chinese brands appear to be throwing everything they have into our market.
Chery
Speaking of throwing everything it has into our market, Chery has made the comeback of all comebacks launching five models since returning to Australia in 2023 after an eight-year hiatus.
The Tiggo 4 small hybrid SUV is Chery's biggest selling model but the brand will soon launch its off-road diesel hybrid ute soon, which could become the brand's most successful vehicle and potentially beating the Ford Ranger at its own game.
The most impressive part of Chery's comeback has been the multitude of sub-brands it's in the process of bringing here such as Jaecoo, Jetour, Lepas and now Freelander.
Zeekr
Zeekr is owned by Geely, but we're singling it out here because it's seriously outperforming its parent company in Australia.
Zeekr arrived here in 2025 with its little X SUV and then the 009 people mover, but it wasn't until it launched the mid-size 7X SUV that the brand took off. The 7X is now the best-selling premium mid-sized SUV in Australia.
Coming soon from Zeekr will be the 8X and 9X plug-in hybrid SUVs. Watch this space, we're expecting big things.
Denza
Denza is BYD's high-performance and luxury sub-brand and despite only setting up shop here in 2025 has launched strongly with the B5 and B8 plug-in hybrid off road SUVs.
Denza isn't just doing off-road luxury vehicles it also has the D9 people mover and the upcoming Z9 GT - an electric wagon with a range of 1000km and monstrous power and speed.
Denza may not outsell BYD but it will offer a more premium and sporty alternative for buyers also in the market for a Zeekr.